


Complementary

by Chyrstis



Series: The odds of that happening [2]
Category: Heavy Rain
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-12
Updated: 2010-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-11 17:32:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/114880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chyrstis/pseuds/Chyrstis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A certain journalist heads to DC for a book signing. A certain FBI agent can't help but be curious about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Disclaimer- Heavy Rain is still not mine. Hence, the fic instead of the sequel/DLC. :(  
> _
> 
> This is a sequel to Probability, which will be referenced at random points in the story, but is not required reading for this fic at all. As for details from the game, here are some important things to note: Madison and Jayden made it to the warehouse while Ethan was in lock up. Madison got her book published, Ethan got to see his son, and Jayden got the tanks of doom.

Crime never slept. As a result, seldom did he.

Going on pure statistics one could guess that at this moment a crime was probably occurring. Using that same logic, a second later another crime could be occurring. Add those seconds until they became minutes, continue adding until they became hours, and once you reach days the odds of any crime occurring became astronomical.

Any second spent doing something insignificant meant perpetuating that cycle, and he would be damned if he let that chance to make a difference slip through his fingers. Not while he had the opportunity.

But he couldn't work like this forever. He felt his eyelids begin to droop and he immediately forced them back open.

Sleep. That one little thing that he seemed to keep on forgetting about. People generally functioned better with it, but if given the option he ran better on coffee anyway. Espresso was the real winner, however. A few shots of that kept him going for hours, crash or no crash. That left him plenty of time for paperwork, managing case files, and best of all, ARI.

Sleep? Why would he want to sleep when he could instead be in a place like this?

The sun gently drifted through the trees surrounding him, making things comfortably mild, while a faint breeze periodically swept through. He noticed the leaves dancing out of the corners of his vision, drifting into the air.

Jayden leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk. It was such a subtle illusion and so easy to believe. ARI.

He blinked his eyes once, then twice behind the black glasses, shaking his head.

_How long have I been on?_

The files floating around him rotated like a merry-go-round, lazily moving along in a circular motion. Somewhere beyond them blinked a set of numbers detailing the time, date, and weather conditions of the region he was currently in.

He squinted to see them better, something he knew he didn't have to do while in ARI, but did so anyway. When he saw what the numbers were really telling him, he couldn't help but let out a few choice expletives.

_2:30 in the fucking morning? Shit. This is what you get for worshipping a bunch of roasted beans, you idiot._

Work was going to be hell tomorrow, no doubt about it, but the caffeine would help get him through it like it always did. He glanced at the files one more time before choosing to throw in the towel. He could preach all he wanted to about how he didn't need sleep, but his body did in order to keep on functioning. At the very least he could get in a few hours before the sun came up.

Jayden slipped the glasses off his face and closed his eyes. He carefully waited, the image of a perfect spring day still crystal clear in his mind. This was the tricky part. His fingers traced over the span of his desk, feeling the contrasting textures of the papers resting on it. He explored further, touching the grain of the wooden desk and the cool metal of the lamp resting off to the side. Everything was there where he had left it.

His mouth began to go dry. _This won't be like before, will it ARI? I won't open my eyes only to find myself in exactly the same place? That forest?_

He let his eyes slowly open, giving them time to refocus. The colors blurred but became clearer, coming together to form nothing but the dark navy curtains covering the window in front of him. Darkness blanketed his apartment, the only light the faint blue glow coming from ARI itself, and once it sunk in that he was really _here_ instead of stuck in there, he let out the breath he had been holding.

It had let him go. Or at the very least it seemed to, for now. He felt like an idiot for tempting fate again, but ARI always had a way of pulling him in. So innocent. So simple.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around in the dark until he found the switch to the lamp. The yellow light appeared in a flash, illuminating the documents and folders scattered underneath his hands. All the paperwork from the week was there, along with some from the week before. One file in particular caught his eye, however. Right on the front of it was a bright red splotch.

Jayden blinked at it in confusion until a second joined it. His hand shot to his face and he grimaced as he realized exactly what it was.

_Another damn nosebleed. ...I guess I really slipped up this time._

A box of tissues rested on one of the nightstands by his bed and he got up to grab a wad of them. As he held them all to his nose, he noted that the nosebleed wasn't too bad, but the fact that he could still get them didn't put his mind at ease any more than before. A few of the tissues escaped him, falling to the floor, and when he reached down to get them, he finally saw it. The slight twitching of his hand.

Sighing in frustration, Jayden made his way over to the bathroom so he could properly clean up. His hand initially slipped on the handle of the sink, but caught it the second time, cranking up the water as high as it could go. He shoved his hands and face under the faucet, focusing on the icy coolness there rather than his own rapidly fluctuating temperature. He had this under control. There was no need to think about the little vial hidden away in his desk.

_Even if it does such a wonderful job of fixing everything. ...No, don't even think of it that way. You've spent months resisting the fucking thing, don't crawl back to it now._

He propped his arms on the edge of the sink, taking in deep breaths and exhaling them just as quickly. This set of symptoms was the strongest he had felt in a long time, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He just had to let it pass.

The sink continued to run as he threw more water on his face. Waiting it out was a miserable experience, but worth it. Time ran by, the seconds and minutes spent there completely insignificant to him while he waited for the shaking of his hands to settle down. He needed the trembling to go away and for his body to stop acting like a goddamned thermostat. Eventually he relaxed, returning to himself again. After waiting a few minutes longer, he put one last splash of cold water on his face and looked up at his reflection. The yellow light made him seem even more pallid, if possible, and he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"...What the hell have I done to myself?"

His mirror image simply threw his disgust right back at him.

He shook his head and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe his face. Questions and doubts had come to him late at night before, but now was not the time to dwell on either of them. All he needed to do now was limit his ARI use, something he had already made a mental note to do. That was the key. No ARI, no tripto. Tonight was a setback, but he could recover. All he needed to do was maintain a sense of control and everything would be okay.

_Just keep reminding yourself of that, got it? Don't fuck this up any more than you already have. You can't afford to._

With that in mind, Jayden turned away from the mirror and its damning reflection, shutting off the light. Forgoing any attempts to change out of his suit, he crawled onto his neatly made bed and rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. After all that he still didn't have any urge to sleep. He needed something else to keep his mind occupied, something a bit more interesting than the fan hanging above him.

He turned his head to the side, eyeing the remote on top of his nightstand. Most of the time he rarely used it, but in cases like this a TV was almost invaluable. Most of the junk playing on it was designed to distract rather than engage the viewer, and he figured that the news, at the very least, would have something to say.

_Besides,_ he thought idly as he sat up and switched it on, _there's no news like bad news._

_"-such a challenge! Most people would have been terrified to be in your position."_

_Another interview?_ He groaned in frustration and got ready to change the channel. _With my current level of patience, I'm not sticking around unless you saved a school bus full of nuns and small children from a pack of mountain lions._

_"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't scared myself. It wasn't easy by any means-"_

_Wait a minute._ His eyes widened. Was that Madison? The brunette on TV laughed in response to the interviewer's comment and he recognized that expression perfectly. _That's Madison Paige, all right. Talk about one hell of a coincidence._

He had been looking for the news, but never thought that he would catch her instead. She looked no different than before, and he caught himself wondering how she had been doing over the last few months. He'd called Shaun a couple of times to check up on him, but had only caught her once by accident. Shaun had been telling him about Ethan's plans for their new apartment when she had dropped by. The kid gave her the phone before either of them could understand what was going on and when he heard her voice answer "Hello?" he didn't know how to respond.

They ended up making small talk once he had finally found his voice again, discussing her job and her leg while he deflected questions about his work and how he'd taken to dealing with it. The worry in her voice carried over the phone a little too well, but she never pushed him for a straight answer.

"Keep on worrying like that and you'll go gray by the time you're 30." he had joked.

It'd been a lame way to steer the conversation away from him, but she let herself take the bait, throwing back a sharp retort that he couldn't help but grin at.

In the end, talking to her in general, even about nothing, had been nice. When he wasn't unintentionally making a fool out of himself he found it almost easy to keep a conversation going, something that was no small feat when it came to dealing with someone like him. The woman was an anomaly, no doubt about it. ...And had the ability to be one hell of a reporter as a result.

_"I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the public hasn't been able to stop talking about your new book! Did you expect such a reaction to it?"_ The female interviewer asked, smiling widely.

Jayden placed the remote beside him on the bed and carefully watched the screen, his attention finally caught.

_"Considering the coverage of the case, yes, but the general response to the book and my work on it was the real surprise. Parents are the ones I see the most at the signings, and hearing their gratitude is always a humbling experience."_

He tapped his chin in thought as he processed that. He thought he'd heard about her publishing a book not too long ago, but here it was now, clear as day. A small icon rested on the corner of the screen.

_Heavy Rain._ That alone almost made him chuckle. _It was only a matter of time before she'd publish something on the case. Madison's a journalist, for Christ's sake. She was intimately familiar with most if not all of the details of it, something none of the others could claim._

However, that thought did raise an interesting question about the folder that she had handed over. Was there something in that book that she failed to mention to them at the station? Maybe. That didn't mean that any of those details were important to the case, though. Still, he couldn't help but be curious about it. It added another layer to an already complicated case.

The host pointed to a map displayed on a screen behind her, highlighting different areas across America. _"From New York to Nevada, you've been all over the country, but apparently you still have a few destinations left on your agenda. Can you tell us where you're heading next on your tour?"_

Madison tilted her head to the side, her lips curving into a small smile. _"Actually, I went over it with my publisher and we decided that DC would be a great place for the next signing. It's the capital, after all, and I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier to suggest it."_

_"Have you ever had a chance to go there before?"_

She shook her head. _"No, but it's one of those places that you should try to go to at least once-"_

A shaky laugh escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair. "Un-fucking-believable." _She's actually heading down here, huh? Shit. I wasn't expecting that to happen._

_"We've got a few dates in mind, but if anyone wants to keep track of it, all they have to do is access the website. I'm updating it constantly, so if you're wondering about dates or just have a question or two, you can check it out there."_ A line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen, the little white letters giving the exact address of her site before fading into the dark brown of the desks the two women were sitting at.

_"This has been Madison Paige everyone! Heavy Rain can be found at all major bookstores, and if you live in Washington DC, don't forget to keep an eye out for Madison herself! Check her website out for extra details. Thanks for watching!"_

The cover of the book floated on the screen along with the address to its website, and he grabbed the remote to check the date that the interview had originally aired. It was only about a month old, but that didn't tell him anything about Madison's plans.

_Are you really considering this? She's probably come and gone already, with you none the wiser._ He told himself, being realistic about his chances. _You're busy, she's busy, why even bother?_

Jayden turned off the TV and fell back onto the bed, yawning in exhaustion. _...Still, maybe it'd be worth looking up once. No harm done, no foul._

_One peek never hurt anyone, right?_

* * *

"They never showed up? Talk to me, Sam. What's going on?"

_"One of the family members came by the office today, and told us everything. Apparently the negotiations weren't going too well on their end, since the crooks didn't even bother to show up. Another message was sent after that, but the family's not even sure their daughter's still alive."_

"Shit." Madison paced back and forth, narrowly dodging a stack of boxes. "What are the cops doing about it?"

_"Right now they're trying to find them before anyone does anything stupid. The last thing I heard was that they had a good lead on the location, but I'll give you a heads up if anything changes."_

She came to a stop, her grip tight on the phone as she anxiously bit her lip. "I should be out there, looking for something, anything! Anything that could help."

_"Don't beat yourself up about it, Madison."_ Sam replied, understanding her feeling of powerlessness a little too well. _"We've got people out there along with the local police. Something's being done about it. You can't be in two places at once, as much as you'd like to be."_

"Maybe not, but if I hadn't delayed this by a week then I would still be there to help."

_"Maybe, or maybe not. It's done, Mad. We've sent the information you've gathered over to the police, so they've got more facts to work with. You've done all you could, given the current situation."_ He was silent for a few seconds, but then spoke up. _"Look, I promise to let you know as soon as something comes my way. Just do your thing and we'll get back down to business when you return to Philly, okay? Do we have a deal?"_

"...Deal." She didn't like it one bit, but she could at least look over what she had in the hotel later on. "I'm holding you to that, Sam."

He laughed. _"I've known you long enough to know that you'd never let me hear the end of it otherwise. Now make sure to take care of yourself over there, okay?"_

"I will, you know that. ...Thanks for letting me know, Sam."

_"No problem at all. Talk to you later, Madison."_

Madison let her arm fall to the side as she glanced around the storage area of the bookstore. This case had popped up a few days before she had left. A couple's teenage daughter had been kidnapped from a shopping mall in the middle of the day, leaving a trail of witnesses behind to give their own perspective on what had happened. The criminals themselves had been sloppy, leaving behind a trail of clues while they attempted to ransom the girl for a hefty amount of money.

The general consensus around the station was that the perps were nothing but a group of amateurs looking to make a quick buck, but that didn't mean anything to the girl they had kidnapped. Stacy was still out there, having god-knows-what happen to her, while she was standing here in the back room of a bookstore, getting ready for a book signing. Madison grit her teeth, but knew that it wasn't in her hands. In fact, it never really had been. The case was being handled by the cops and she had to trust them with it.

_You get too attached to these things, Mad. To the people involved. Listen to Sam. Get out there, do your thing, and don't let the stress get to you._

She put her phone away and crossed her arms, sighing deeply. The police would handle this. They would get Stacy back to her parents safe and sound, no problems whatsoever. She almost laughed at her attempts to be optimistic about it, but the alternative would get her nowhere fast. It would do for now. At least until she got this over and done with.

She looked away from the scattered crates in time to see a man in a vest run through the double-doors separating the front area from the back. He motioned towards her, trying to get her attention, and she recognized him as one of the managers she had met this morning.

"Madison? The store's almost done setting up an area for you in the non-fiction section. However, a couple of employees were wondering how much space you think you might need today. Any ideas?"

Madison tapped her foot in thought, wondering for a brief instant about the case being worked on miles from here. The girl waiting to be found. Wanting to be found.

She put a weak smile on her face and walked towards the doors, heading with the manager back into the main area of the bookstore. "No, but let me take a look. I shouldn't be hiding back here anyway."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Disclaimer- Heavy Rain is still not mine. Hence, the fic instead of the sequel/DLC. :(_

She looked down at the watch on her wrist and absently tapped her nails on the desk given to her. Madison only had a few seconds to catch the time before another smiling person approached with a book waiting in their hands.

"Hi." she greeted, a small smile on her face. "Who should I make this out to?"

"My mother-in-law, Susan. You wouldn't believe how much she admires your work, Ms. Paige. "

"Thank you. Tell her that I really appreciate the support." Madison replied, making sure to address the book clearly.

She handed it back and glanced again at the watch on her wrist, nervously tapping her foot under the desk.

_Over fifteen minutes left? Maybe I can squeeze in a call to Sam once this is finished-_

"It's an honor to meet you in person, Ms. Paige!"

Madison looked up and gave them a slightly sheepish smile. The majority of the book signing had distracted her enough to not think about the case, encouraging her to focus on the questions and comments being asked, but that didn't stop the barrage of questions her mind fired at her. Was she okay? Where was she now? Are the police on their way? Distractions came and went, giving her time to shove her doubts to the back of her mind, but she couldn't keep this up forever.

A young woman stepped up, a broad smile on her face as she held up her book, and Madison froze. It didn't matter that the two girls looked nothing alike, and likely had nothing in common. Stacy was whom she saw standing in front of her and guilt hit her instantly.

After a few seconds she forced herself to snap out of it and apologized profusely for her strange behavior, but the damage had been done. She had lost the fight against her subconscious, and just couldn't wait until Sam chose to call her later. She had to know. This caused her to look at her watch again, and she struggled to keep her frustration at her inconsistent behavior hidden from everyone around her.

_Stop it, Madison! Put on a happy face and stop zoning out so much! These people deserve better than that._

Not even mental coaching helped. She was really no better than a robot at this point. Nothing registered other than the shifting books and the movement of her pen. As much as she wanted to focus, she just didn't have the heart to, not right now. Not with her watch sitting out of the corner of her eye, ticking as the seconds passed by.

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5-_

Her pen tapped the inside page of the book currently sitting in front of her, and it took a few minutes for her to realize that she had blanked completely. Frowning slightly, she put down her pen and shook her head.

_That's strike two, Mad. Focus!_

"I'm sorry," she began, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't mean to do that. My mind's been all over the place lately. Who did you want me to make this out to...?"

Madison looked up, noticing the man standing before her fixing her with an odd look himself.

_Wait._ Her eyes narrowed. _Tall, check. Gray suit, check. ...Sunglasses?_

_No, it can't be._ She nearly balked. "...Norman?"

"And here I was wondering if I'd have to snap my fingers to get your attention." Jayden replied, his tone almost soft in the loud room.

_That accent? Bingo. You only know one guy with a voice like that, Mad._

In spite of that, she still found it difficult to believe that he was actually standing right here in front of her. Her mind had played tricks on her already with Stacy, so why wouldn't it try again with a clever curve ball? Then again, conjuring up the FBI agent instead of her was a bit of a stretch. It just didn't make any sense for her subconscious to try that angle.

"W-what are you doing here?"

His lips curved into a half-smile as he folded his arms in front of him. "I live in DC, remember? It's not entirely unlikely that we'd run into each other like this."

Closing her mouth so she wouldn't continue to gape at him, she shook off the rest of the initial shock and eyed him skeptically. "In this exact spot? I wasn't expecting to see you here...or at all, honestly."

He tapped his chin, the sunglasses conveniently obscuring one of the more expressive features of his face. "Looks like we're in a bit of a predicament then. I was hoping to get a copy of that elusive book of yours."

Madison blinked at him a few times, before leaning back in her chair. By now she was definitely convinced that there was no way that a hallucination could be that accurate or evasive. "My book?" A smile finally came to her, though her tone still reflected a lingering hint of disbelief. "You came all the way here for my book? On the exact day that I'm scheduled to be here?"

"What can I say? The large poster in the front window was hard to miss." Jayden glanced over his shoulder at the line of people behind him and then turned back, his eyebrow raised. "I think I'm holding the line up. We could cut our little talk about my exceptional timing short, or we could discuss it further over say, coffee? I could always go for a good cup of java."

_And he does it again. You're full of surprises, aren't you, Mr. Profiler?_

She tapped her nails on the desk and watched him carefully. "It depends. Is that a good cup of coffee you're talking about or a great cup of coffee?"

"It could be. Or it couldn't be." He shrugged, and she almost wished she could see the look that went with those words. "The place not too far from here has a pretty mean one, though."

Her fingers stopped moving and she found herself studying the blank page sitting in front of her. Only a few random spots of ink marred its surface, none of them actual words acknowledging its new owner. Sighing at her lack of creativity, she closed the book and leaned forward to rest her head on her hands. "Willing to bet your badge on that, agent?"

"No, because I'm not a betting man. However, I'm still pretty damn confident that you'll like it."

She thought about it for a moment and handed the book back to him. "Confident or just outright cocky?"

"You don't trust me with coffee, do you?" Jayden asked, smirking.

The book left her hands and Madison did her best to hide her amusement. "After what happened to the last one? I'm afraid you've got your work cut out for you. Anyway, hold onto that for now. I've got to finish this before I can even begin to entertain the idea of caffeine."

She glanced around the line of people and the general area until she noticed a few chairs left out by the store for their regular customers. "Why don't you wait over there? I've got about 10-15 minutes left for the signing. Then, we can get back to the important issue of whether or not I find you trustworthy. Does that work?"

"That works." He subtly bowed, that same infuriating smirk on his face as before. "Miss Paige."

Madison gave him a half-hearted glare as he wandered off to the side, tapping her pen as she attempted to regain her balance. Again.

_Strike three. ...And they say the third time's a charm._

She cleared her throat before greeting the next person in line.

* * *

_Marble Street. The appearance of the apartment there resembled that of a burned-out shell. Items were scattered all over the floor and it looked like no one had even bothered to tend to it-_

Jayden flipped a few pages forward, his eyes scanning the paragraphs quickly as they passed by.

_No one would think to look there. His given name had been carefully removed with no connection to his alias, so it was almost impossible to assume that anyone would go by the grave of a boy who had died so many years ago-_

"So you'd think, right?" he muttered to himself.

The book he had propped up on his leg told him many things he already knew, but the words written here were different than the jotted notes and bullet points handed over months earlier. The written word told some interesting things about the writer behind it, because no matter how indifferent the words seemed on first glance, there was always a hidden opinion or bias. Madison's always leaned towards the victims, something he knew to begin with, but the descriptions and details given here wouldn't be possible without some sort of attachment to the subject.

_She's passionate about her work and compassionate to her subjects. That's not uncommon in her field. However, most reporters don't challenge serial killers that hit like a Buick, or hide in refrigerators to escape gas explosions. Something drives her to help or assist others, and the risks involved don't even seem to faze her. That's going to get her in serious trouble someday._

Leaning forward in the blue recliner he'd staked out, Jayden looked down at the book in his lap and sighed. He flipped it closed and examined the cover, tracing his fingers over the glossy paper. That case would stick with them for the rest of their lives, no doubt about it. Shelby might be dead and gone, but that would never fully erase the impact of his actions. Not while they were still alive to deal with their aftereffects.

Flipping the book back open to a random page, he let it pull him back in, this section detailing a possible lead in the form of a Mr. Adrian Baker. Madison had been working on her own investigation at that time, seeking out clues as to who the Origami Killer was, and he had to admit that Baker had been an interesting lead to follow. As the owner of the apartment on Marble Street it made sense to see if he could explain what had been going on over there for the last few years.

_He had been a doctor once, helping those who were sick and injured to get back on the road to recovery. After his retirement, however, his career path began to travel down a much more sinister route. The prescriptions in his possession were no longer restricted to those that needed them. Now anyone could access them, anyone who knew his name and came by with the right price-_

_In short,_ Jayden noted, picking out key details, _the doctor became a drug dealer._

He traced the names of the drugs listed under Baker's possession and carefully kept himself from acknowledging the vial resting in his own pocket. Even now it never left his person, regardless of whether he actually bothered to take it or not. The odd placebo effect provided by carrying the vial was usually more than enough to placate any random urges or symptoms.

With that in mind, he took a moment to flex his fingers, holding them out over the page until he was positive they remained still. Turning over his hand, he continued to watch them, only stopping when his curiosity was finally satisfied. He blinked his eyes behind the sunglasses a few times and rubbed his temples, staring out at the seemingly endless array of books. The dark lenses bathed them all in one uniform shade of gray, contrasting sharply with the cool colors he had grown to expect while wearing a pair of black-framed glasses.

_They were calm and quiet. Peaceful. Like the trees that reached towards the sky, stretching onward into that neverending blue-_

He forced his eyes shut, pressing a hand to his forehead.

_Goddammit. Not again._

That line of thinking only led to dark places, ones that he wasn't entirely sure he'd always be able to escape. He opened his eyes again, and took in the muted space around him. For now, gray was safe. It didn't make him question his senses. Not like ARI had.

The clicking of heels off to his left drew his attention before long and he looked up, sunglasses firmly in place. Without a desk to hide her he finally had a chance to get a good look at Madison, and even surrounded by gray she stood out. It had nothing to do with the color of her outfit, or the light make up on her face. It was distinctly her, and he continued to study her long after he registered her confused expression.

"Hey, Norman? Jayden? Hello? Still with me?" She waved her hand in front of his face a few times.

He snapped out of it and sat up, folding his hands in front of him. "Sorry. Just thinking about nothing. Nice outfit, by the way."

"This?" Madison raised an eyebrow, looking down at her clothes before smiling slightly. "It's just a skirt and shirt, but...wait. You're not trying to distract me, are you?"

"Distract you? From what?"

She put a hand on her hip. "From asking you again about how you found your way down here. I don't recall you giving me a straight answer about that."

_Still stubborn, still persistent. Some things never change._ "I did. I live here. I was in the area and happened to wander by."

"Entirely by accident?"

"Looks like it."

The skeptical look on her face didn't waver. "Okay. You're telling me that the only way you ended up here was through a series of accidents? Completely unrelated accidents? And they conveniently led you here to this exact bookstore?"

He held his hands out and shrugged, an innocent expression on his face. "Fate's got an interesting sense of humor sometimes."

"You are the last person that I would expect to use that as an excuse."

Jayden eyed her expectantly. "Did it work?"

Madison opened her mouth to respond, but paused, an unreadable look in her eyes. Soon after she held out her hand, motioning for Jayden to hand the book over. Curious as to what she had in mind, he quietly let her take it from him, and watched intently as she opened it up to scribble a message on the title page. The one that she had left blank earlier.

The movement of the pen was quick and deliberate, allowing her to finish in no time at all. A single click signaled when she was done and he carefully removed the book from her hands, wary of her now eerily calm expression.

He flipped it open, moving past the first few pages until he found the one he was looking for. "'My sincerest thanks and gratitude to my dear friend, Agent...Jackass." He tilted his head to the side, wincing slightly, before looking back up at her. "Judging by the way you've bolded and triple-underlined jackass, my guess is no."

"I'm going to go make a phone call." She pointed a finger at him, her eyes narrowing. "Move one inch from this spot and I swear I'll hunt you down."

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, sitting up a little straighter.

* * *

Her phone snapped shut and Madison deliberately bumped the back of her head against the bookshelf she was leaning on. Nothing. Nothing new at all. She had gone through her messages and voicemail, before calling Sam himself to get a brief update. He restated a lot of the older details that they had gathered and given to the police, but nothing else had been added to that line up yet.

_Well, no news is better than bad news, right?_

She wasn't sure if she could side with her optimism on that one, but it did have a point. Sam had also reminded her that hearing nothing didn't automatically mean the worst case scenario. Taking that to heart, she finally dragged herself out of the fiction section and forced herself to focus on other things. She knew she would go crazy if she didn't.

_Now, where to find a certain smartass FBI agent? Gray suit and sunglasses. Just keep an eye out for a gray suit and sunglasses._

She walked back over towards the non-fiction section and spotted him in the same blue recliner as before. Jayden appeared to be contemplating something intensely, staring at one fixed spot somewhere in the depths of the store, while leaning forward in his chair. He shifted after a few minutes, however, and looked around the store until he noticed her waving him over. He hopped to his feet, book in hand, and walked over to join her next to the giant cardboard standee standing outside of the young adult book section.

He eyed the cardboard dragon briefly before glancing down at her, his mouth quirking at its sides. "Huh."

"What?"

"You're taller than I remember."

_Funny, because I was thinking the same thing._ "Not by much. My feet would've killed me if I'd even considered three-inch heels."

He looked down at her shoes and she turned one foot to the side to show the smaller heel off. "Walking around for a bit won't bother you, right?"

"No, it shouldn't. Are you worried they'll slow me down?"

"You tell me." The dark lenses shifted up to focus only on her. "Your knee's okay too? No problems?"

She shook her head as they began to walk towards the front doors. "I'm fine. I'm not made of glass, Norman. That was months ago, and it's as if nothing happened now. As for my shoes, these are a lot more comfortable than they look."

_As comfortable as a pair of heels can be, I guess. ...I can't believe I'm arguing this._

"All right, but if things do go wrong I'd appreciate a warning before you chuck them at my head. It'd be a hell of a thing to explain to the Bureau on Monday."

Just hearing him verbalize such a ridiculous thing made her grin. "Oh, I'd at least give you a head start. I like to think I'm pretty merciful."

"Of course you are, but that doesn't help me much. Either way I still end up with a shoe to the face and a bunch of flimsy excuses to choose from." He responded wryly, before switching to a more serious tone. "I know you think I'm exaggerating, but I really don't want you to be uncomfortable out there."

Madison held back a laugh as they slipped between the sliding doors. "Don't worry. If anything goes wrong you'll know, and no, I won't actually throw my shoe at you. I do need them, after all."

He snorted and gave her a look, the dark lenses carrying the message across better than she expected. "Your mercy knows no bounds, Miss Paige."

"Madison."

Jayden turned his attention to her. "Sorry?"

"You don't always have to be so formal you know. I think we're actually a bit past that by now." She gave him a small smile, feeling slightly self-conscious in spite of herself. "Call me Madison."

He stood still, his hands in his pockets as he processed her request. After a few minutes however, she saw his shoulders relax as a shy smile of his own worked its way onto his face. "All right. Your mercy knows no bounds, Madison."

"You're welcome." She fished around in her bag for her own pair of sunglasses and pointedly tried to ignore the light shade of red settling over her cheeks.

A few cars sped by as they stood together outside of the bookstore and once her glasses were on, she examined the nearby buildings. There was something fascinating about the differences between her home and here, and it didn't hurt that they also served as excellent distractions as well.

"So, where is that coffee shop you mentioned earlier? You're my lifeline here, Mr. Profiler, because I only know the way from here to my hotel."

Jayden glanced around, taking in his surroundings as his hand absently reached up to touch his sunglasses. The motion caused his lips to briefly curve into a frown, but it disappeared by the time he pointed to their left. "If we stick to this sidewalk, we should find our way down there, no problem. It's about a ten minute walk."

She looked down at her watch. It was in the middle of the afternoon, so hopefully there wouldn't be too many people. "Sounds good to me. Only the hardcore caffeine junkies might be there around this time, but you never know."

"In Washington? Any time's a good time." His little half-smile caught her eye before he turned to proceed down the sidewalk and she moved to follow him, not wanting to be left behind by his long strides.

They walked side by side for the majority of the trip to the shop, taking in the general atmosphere of the area and the people inhabiting it. They didn't talk much then, but it didn't feel awkward to let the silence take over for a while. He didn't strike her as an overly social person by nature, so the last thing she wanted to do was force a conversation out of him. Remembering the camera in her purse, she took it out and secured it to her wrist, perching her sunglasses on top of her head so she could get a better look at everything. DC had character to it, much like Philadelphia did, and she hoped she could find some way to capture it.

Certain buildings stood out to her, the bits of bricks and broken glass trying to tell her a story that was likely lost years ago in the shuffle. There was something intriguing about them, and if the area was abandoned then there was the added question of what was left behind and why. Had things always been like this? Had there been better times for everyone there once? Each picture had a new question to ask, and looking back at them later she had no answers to give. Only more questions.

The older apartments and stores here held her attention more due to that, and she asked Jayden to pause a couple of times on their way so she could attempt to do them justice. He simply watched her work, looking on as she got into position and adjusted the zoom.

"This place has so much to see." She held up the little camera and focused in on the entryway to one of the buildings across the street. "I think I could be anywhere here and never run out of things to take pictures of."

"You really see something special, don't you?"

Madison lowered the camera and looked over at him. "I don't know. There's something almost magnetic about this city, but I can't quite put my finger on it. " She shrugged. "It would probably take me longer than a three-day trip to pin it down, but that doesn't bother me. I'm not here to figure out its secrets."

She raised the camera back up to her face, noticing the figure in gray standing off to the side. Peeking over its edge, she watched as Jayden raised his eyes to the sky, concerned more with the clouds lurking on the horizon. It was all too easy to turn and adjust the focus.

_But that doesn't stop me from wondering about them._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Disclaimer- Heavy Rain is still not mine. Hence, the fic instead of the sequel/DLC. :(_

People came and went, wandering down the street much like they were, with no clear destination in mind. Jayden ducked around a few of them, but the majority walked like they drove; it didn't matter who or what was in front of them as long as they could make their way from point A to point B. Shoulders were bumped, angry glares were exchanged, and life went on, one minor accident at a time.

Not willing to participate in that mess, he made sure to give each person the proper amount of clearance, while Madison on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble maneuvering around any obstacle thrown at her. Even _with_ a camera in hand. He raised an eyebrow as she would pause, examine her subject, take the shot, and then seconds later move to avoid a family with three small children. Everything appeared to be so well timed it just didn't make any sense at all.

It was almost like watching a ballerina, spinning around anything and everything. Graceful as hell, and quite the thing to catch in motion.

He pursed his lips and tried to process it, still looking back at her. After weaving around another group, she raised her camera to take another picture, but stopped long enough to wink at him when she noticed him looking back instead.

That, in itself, was the worst kind of distraction. It also happened to be exactly why he failed to notice the elderly couple he was about to crash into.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Snapping back to attention, he awkwardly stumbled out of their way and held up his hands, completely surprised that he didn't send Madison's book flying into the street. "Sorry! I wasn't watching my step-"

"You've got eyes, use them for God's sake!" the older man spat, pulling his wife along. "You're lucky I won't hit you with a goddamn lawsuit."

They shuffled past a worried and confused Madison, who had managed to catch up with him and she gave him a questioning look. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I think he almost took out my knee caps." Jayden chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "And those are supposed to be some kid's loving grandparents, too. Christ."

She raised her eyebrows and glanced over her shoulder down the way they came. "You didn't even touch them."

He adjusted his coat and crossed his arms in front of him, his frustrated frown growing by the second. "That sure as hell didn't matter. Anyway, we've only got a little further to go from here. Let's hurry before the crowds get any worse."

_...Or I end up in the goddamn hospital. Oh, and by the way, nice job tripping over yourself like an idiot there._

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he kept his eyes focused on the path in front of him rather than on the concerned journalist lingering a foot or two behind him. After a while the scattered sounds of clicks started up again, but he didn't look back to check this time. His ego wasn't ready to tempt fate again, just yet.

They came up to an intersection and he stepped up to the edge of the sidewalk to examine the other side. There were a couple of shops in this area, nothing fancy, but none of them stood out quite like the small wooden building did. The gray stone and brick surrounding it had probably been there for years before anyone had ever considered filling in that one lonely space, making the smaller structure almost seem like it had been tacked on as an afterthought.

In a city filled with cars, smoke, crime, and people who were too caught up in their own lives to acknowledge much else, a quaint little cafe offered something different. It didn't matter that it looked like it could barely house fifty customers. It instead promised to have that bright homey appeal that the rest of the city lacked, welcoming you in with open arms. That was what really made the place stick out like a sore thumb.

Cafes like this weren't on the list of his usual haunts, but after grabbing coffee from the same place for the last year and half, his partner had suggested something different. They had both been in the middle of a case involving a local drug ring, and McGinnis had mentioned it in passing while they were on the way to check out a lead. After sifting through evidence and clues for three days straight with minimal sleep, he was open to any and all forms of caffeine, and didn't complain the next day when a cup happened to appear on his desk.

Jayden took a giant swig of it, not even caring if it turned out to be no better than the watered down sludge they served at a fast-food joint. That one drink ended up nearly knocking him on his ass. From where he sat in his office chair, it had genuinely shocked him out of his case-induced stupor.

_That_ , simply put, was a good cup of coffee.

"That's it." He pointed to it across the street. "It doesn't look like much, but whatever you're looking for they've got. It isn't too bad on the wallet either-"

He turned to look back, his tone a lot lighter than it was earlier, and froze when he noticed Madison's camera was aimed right at him.

"...Please tell me you haven't been doing that the entire time."

She lowered it slowly, her expression telling him clearly that she didn't expect to get caught. "Not exactly." She took a moment to glance at the little screen on its back and winced. "Ouch. You actually look kind of pissed in this one."

Jayden exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "A warning would've been nice."

"I'm sorry. I only took two or three, but I can rid of them." she responded, still looking a little embarrassed. "Just say the word."

He shifted on his feet, tapping the spine of the book resting by his side. "No, don't worry about it. I, uh...just wasn't expecting to be one of your subjects."

She put the camera away and moved forward to stand beside him, pushing the button on the light post so they could cross. "It's the curse of being a photographer. You see a good picture, you take it."

The lights shifted, signaling that it was safe to head across and they joined the small group of people proceeding to the other side. "Aren't there a lot more interesting things than me out there? I think a guy on a unicycle flew by about ten minutes back-"

Madison raised a finger, stopping him from continuing. "You could think you're the most boring human being in existence and I'm positive that I could still find a way to get a good shot of you." She stepped up onto the curb and turned to him, giving him a knowing look. "Besides, you're biased. You would say something like that, and no, I didn't see anyone go by us on a unicycle."

"I wake up, I work at the office, I head home. That doesn't translate into anything interesting or exciting. Instead, that just makes me sound pretty damn boring."

"Norman, after Philadelphia, you could sell pet rocks for all I care." She replied, her lips curving into a small smirk. "Your first mistake was impressing me. Now you've got to deal with the consequences."

"First?" His question only seemed to make her smile wider. "Any other mistakes that I should be aware of?"

"I did imply something, didn't I? Hmm." She shrugged, but he didn't miss the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Anyway, sorry to burst your bubble Agent Jayden, but I find you quite interesting whether you believe me or not."

He sighed in defeat as they made it to the entrance, and he pulled open the cafe's large glass door for her. "Lady, you are something else."

The low sound of music met their ears, and once the door closed behind them he suddenly remembered that he had never actually been inside this place. All the times before, McGinnis had just dropped the coffee off or brought it directly to the crime scene, pointing out the cafe when they happened to drive by it. The shutters kept the sun at bay, allowing it to peek through the edges, blanketing the cafe in what could only be described as mood lighting. Tables for two littered the main area, while booths were located at the sides for those there with larger groups of friends.

Everyone spoke in either a normal volume or a hushed whisper, and the combination of all of the details above began to set off alarm bells. Madison's amused look as she wandered over to one of the tables in the back told him that she had noticed something about the cafe's atmosphere as well.

_Low lights, low music, things deliberately set up in pairs... Either someone's a fan of the number two, or everything's looking just a bit too intimate for it to be a coincidence._

Jayden adjusted his collar, feeling his temperature rise as his thoughts finally came to a consensus. Their casual coffee run was starting to suspiciously resemble more of a coffee-date.

_Note to self, make sure to check out the locations of places before you suggest them. Also on Monday, ask the boss about a new partner. The old one's getting strangled the moment I get to the office._

Madison had picked a small spot in the back that didn't have a lot of people milling around and he made his way over to it, thankful that they wouldn't have to worry about being boxed in too badly. She waited patiently by the table and gestured to it when he stepped up to get a better look. "Think this is big enough for the two of us?"

"Barely." He glanced down at the small wooden table and chairs and shook his head. It looked like something out of a little girl's dollhouse. Strange. "So, anything you have in mind?"

She rested her hands on the back of the chair, tapping her heel on the tile floor. "I've been thinking about it, but I'm hardly what you call a coffee expert. What do you usually order?"

"Nothing special. Just something they can whip up in a couple of minutes."

"A plain old coffee would probably be the safe choice then." She pointed at the small line of people standing at the front. "Do you need me to go up there?"

"No, take a seat. I've got it." he assured her, pulling out her chair so she could sit down. "Just a regular, huh?"

Madison nodded, settling into her seat. "That's it. Super fancy's not my thing."

"Regular it is then. Be right back." He placed the book on the table and eyed the growing line, looking back towards her one more time before heading over.

* * *

A buzzing noise hummed just above the volume of the jazz music playing in the background and Madison listened carefully to try and pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. She turned around in her seat, the sound getting a little louder, and she touched her purse just as it came to a stop.

_There you are! I hope this means exactly what I think it does..._

She unzipped the bag and dug around for a few seconds before pulling her phone out. The screen notified her that she had a new text message rather than a missed phone call, but she opened it up, anxious to see who it was from. Sam's name stood out as the sender and she held her breath as she scanned the message.

_Mad,_

_They've finally got the location of the hostage. The cops are now trying to find a way to convince the parents that a raid might be preferable to more negotiations. Can't say much more for the moment, but I'll give a better update later tonight. Bear with me and stay patient._

_-Sam_

Her fingernails dug almost painfully into her palm as she re-read the message two more times. Things were looking up, and getting riskier all at once.

_The only question now is how long will it take before the police go ahead with their own plan?_

Even with amateurs, one wrong move could lead to a set of consequences that no one could've predicted. It was a tough call for both parties, and she could only imagine how Stacy's parents were feeling. It was rough enough being a parent, but knowing that your choices could affect your child's safety was maddening. Reassuring them that everything would be all right would be a lot of work on the cops' end, but in order for everything to work out smoothly it needed to be done.

Madison sent him a quick note back, thanking him for the update and put her phone away. Time. Time was the big factor here. That and possibly luck. She sincerely hoped that they had both.

Leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table, she glanced over at the shades keeping the sun out and watched the thin stripes of light play across the tables nearby. The cafe was nice and cozy, something she wouldn't mind stopping by every once in a while with a friend, and the general feeling inside was comfortable rather than stuffy. That was definitely a plus.

_Could be a good stop for a date too, but judging from Norman's expression when we came inside I don't think that was exactly what he had in mind._

His slight embarrassment towards their situation made that quite evident, but watching him realize it for himself had been priceless. ...And cute, actually.

The table a few spots in front of her got up to leave, and she noticed Jayden carefully making his way back with two coffee cups in hand. He kept a foot between him and any other person, clearly concentrating on his actions so he wouldn't run into anybody. Hot coffee was not something that you messed around with. She'd had someone trip and spill some on her in a cafe back in Philly before, and that was not an experience she was willing to repeat.

Dodging one last person, he finally made it back, taking a second to examine the cups to make sure he knew which one was which. "Okay, one regular for the lady..." She took the cup, while he pulled his chair around so it was sitting across from her. "and the usual for me."

"Thanks." She scanned the room for an area where they offered cream and sugar and got up when she found one hiding on the right wall of the cafe. "Do you need anything over there? Sugar or-" She paused when she got a good look at the face he was making. "You're one of those guys that always takes it black, aren't you?"

"You don't mess with a good thing." She gave him a look, folding her arms in front of her. "Really! Anything extra compromises the flavor and ruins the experience."

"I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Expert, but I just can't take it straight up. No way." Madison replied, lightly patting him on the shoulder as she went over to properly fix her cup. "Those days ended when I graduated from college."

Black coffee didn't do her any favors at all. When she was up early and trying to find anything to help her adjust, the last thing she wanted was the "comforting" taste of an acidic beverage messing around with her. It had been the thing for her and her roommate in college, but the minute she left it just didn't work for her anymore. It needed to be tempered first, and even then sometimes she wished she could do without it, but she would never truly give it up. Even with the occasional bout of insomnia, she still wanted that extra boost of energy to make it through the day.

When everything was all mixed together to her liking she went back and easily ignored his best attempt at a disapproving glare, the effect ruined by the sunglasses that he still refused to remove. The silence stretched on between them as she drank her coffee and he continued to sulk, but she couldn't stop focusing on those damn glasses of his. After a few minutes, she tapped the table to get his attention and motioned for him to look at her.

"Come here." He stopped mid-drink, visibly confused by her request. She made the same motion again, but he didn't move an inch. "I'm not making you nervous, am I?"

"No, but I still have no idea what you have in mind." he replied warily.

_Oh, he's nervous all right._ Madison cracked a smile. "Don't worry, Norman. I'm not about to pull a fast one on you. Just lean in a little closer."

Jayden set the cup down and watched her closely as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. She reached out and saw him tense when her fingers grazed the glasses, but he did nothing to stop her from slowly removing them. Soon enough, she had those pale eyes of his focused on her too.

"Better?" He tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. She had definitely forgotten how striking those could be.

"...Much better." She folded the sunglasses up and handed them back to him. "Now you can go back to being mopey again. I'm a lot more likely to feel guilty if I can actually see your face, you know."

He took them back and slipped them into the breast pocket of his suit coat. "Thanks, but as long I have this, I don't have to be." he replied, raising his cup.

She raised hers in return, both exchanging an amused glance, and they took a drink of their respective coffees. It really wasn't bad at all. There was no bitterness or sour taste to it, and she didn't have to overload it with cream and sugar to spare her taste buds a miserable experience.

_Good thing I didn't actually bet him anything earlier, because I'd probably owe him my bike right now._ "So, how did you hear about this place?"

"My partner suggested it." He took another drink from his cup, giving her an odd look when he noticed her reaction. "Is me having a partner really that much of a shock? Anyway, apparently his fiancee's nuts about it, which is interesting because if you know her, this looks like the last place she'd be caught in."

"What's she like?"

"She works down at the local station and is the definition of a hard-nosed cop. Throws any and all bullshit right back at you. Not a bad cook either."

Madison gave him a wry smile. "You two must get along famously, then."

"Just like a baseball bat and a beehive would. Matt never fails to remind me how much the missus enjoys my company." His flippant remark said a lot, but oddly enough there didn't seem to be any bad feelings behind the statement.

_He's probably exaggerating things. Either that or he respects his partner enough to keep any disagreements to himself._

"How long have you two been working together?"

"Long enough. If you're wondering why he didn't come along to Philadelphia, and I know you're wondering why-" She made sure he noticed the glare she was shooting his way. "they asked specifically for a profiler only. You don't send ex-lawyers on business trips like that."

_Ex-lawyer?_ She could barely keep the surprise out of her voice. "That's an interesting choice."

"You're telling me. He doesn't know when to shut up or take no for an answer, but it's nothing a pair of ear plugs won't fix." Jayden paused and took a drink of his coffee, looking a bit thoughtful. "He means well, though. He's the quintessential good cop. Idealistic and well-intentioned, but a bit of bleeding heart."

Madison tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "So, out of your set you're the _bad_ cop?"

"I'm more neutral than anything else." He stated, his expression telling her that the idea was more than a little ridiculous. "He deals with the suspects and I observe. After that, I step in and he observes. It's pretty straightforward."

"Are you two working on a case right now?"

"No, we're on clean up. There are a couple of areas that still need clarification on the Origami Killer case, so most of my time lately has been spent behind a desk. Thrilling, I know."

His responses were pretty nonchalant about things, but she got a distinct feeling that he wasn't used to talking about work much outside of the office. Something about his body language was telling her to change the subject, or simply deal with shorter and shorter responses. She was about to take his cue, but there was one more question that she was curious about.

"Why profiling?"

His eyes pinned her to her seat. "Why? Maybe the world just needed another jaded cynic. Can't have enough of those, right?"

If she had been toeing an invisible line before, then she had just thrown herself clear over it. His defensive tone told her that much. "Personally, I think we have enough of those, but that's besides the point. I'm not trying to pry."

"I know you aren't. " Jayden sighed, his stare losing a bit of its edge. "My motivations are just a bit...complicated. If you want the condensed version, just know that back then I thought I could make a difference too, but things never work out like you want them to."

"I think we all feel that way when we start out." She trailed her fingers along the side of her coffee cup and began picking at the cardboard insulator around it. "Everyone tries to tell us that things aren't black or white or don't always have happy endings, but we were just too damn stubborn to give up in spite of the truth. Even with all that ugliness and violence."

His eyes carefully followed her hands as they continued to slowly rip bits of the cardboard off. "Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's worth it."

"I can agree with that. All the murderers and psychopaths of the world make it pretty damn difficult to see what humanity's doing right, but even then...I can't quit. Not while there are others out there who could use my help."

"That's pretty admirable."

She shrugged. "Maybe, but I wasn't just talking about me. I don't see you quitting either."

"Really? Even a bitter old skeptic like me?"

"Especially a bitter old skeptic like you." Madison told him, meaning every word.

They sat together in silence for a bit and she didn't want to look away. He didn't seem to want to either, and eventually his lips curved up in a weary grin. "We really don't know when to fucking quit, do we?"

"No." she replied, shaking her head. "Not at all."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Disclaimer- Heavy Rain is still not mine. Hence, the fic instead of the sequel/DLC. :(_

"Hey," Madison gestured towards a shop with postcards placed next to its window. "I'm going to stop over here real quick. I won't be too long."

The FBI agent gave her a silent nod of agreement and leaned against the wall by the door while she slipped inside. He still held her book safe by his side, and watched the people passing by through the same darkened lenses as before, examining anything and everything. There was something comfortable about the quiet between them, something she couldn't identify, and she told herself not to over-analyze it, even if her mind desperately wanted to.

She had been the one to suggest leaving the coffee shop, her not-quite-so-subtle, "Let's get out of here," cutting through Jayden's contemplative expression in a heartbeat. The caffeine had made her jittery, and a walk sounded like just the thing to cure it. What she didn't know was whether or not he would take her up on her invitation.

Coffee had been the plan and the goal. She had joked about it months ago at the station, barely even entertaining the thought of it occurring due to the fact that the FBI agent appeared to be married to his job, with little to no free time to spare. Especially for coffee with a random journalist he happened to meet by accident. He had no obligation to see any of them again, and no reason to ever consider dropping by Philadelphia, so why she would ever hold onto that idea was beyond her.

...But that was what had thrown her off so badly at the bookstore. The fact that she _had_ actually seen him again, and that this _was_ actually happening. It wasn't just his voice floating through the receiver of a telephone, or the old interview that she had caught on TV more than once when she didn't feel like sleeping. This was the real thing, sarcastic, modest, and all too willing to verbally spar with her at the drop of a hat. It almost made her head spin.

Still, after this he could disappear if he wanted to. Simply head back off into the city, leave her be, and things would remain the same as they had been before. He'd go back to work, she'd go back to Philly, and life would go on like nothing had disrupted it. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to object to it. It just didn't seem right for things to end so abruptly, especially since she still had yet to formally label exactly what their strange relationship was.

_Are we friends? Can a few scattered conversations really tell me if we are? Does the fact that he saved my life count for something? It wouldn't be so difficult to define if we'd met up and acted like the strangers we're supposed to be. Instead it's almost like we're picking up exactly where we left off, like old friends who haven't seen each other in ages.  
_

She sighed, but a chuckle still slipped through. _This trip has gone so far off the beaten path it's ridiculous. All because of one damn cop I met by chance._

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she went right to the stack of postcards and spun it around, looking over its contents. One with a picture of the Capitol Building caught her eye and she pulled it out, turning it over in her hands.

_Speaking of said cop, I shouldn't keep him waiting too long. I haven't scared him off yet, but if shopping's the last straw I won't let him hear the end of it._

She put the postcard back and pulled out another with the Washington Monument on it.

Finding souvenirs for Shaun had become a fun little pastime of hers during her book tour, giving him a chance to see the world outside of Philadelphia. He was young, but the first time she brought something back a hint of interest lit up in his eyes and she wanted to hold onto that. It was an adventure to him, each new postcard and picture allowing her to share the experience, and she didn't want to miss an opportunity to put an excited smile on his face.

_The capital isn't exactly lacking in memorable places or people, but what would be worth sharing with Shaun? I don't think Ethan's had a chance to come here either, so maybe I should get him a little something..._

Madison put down the postcard and walked over to a shelf filled with mugs and random trinkets, the kinds of items specifically designed to lure in out-of-towners like her. A bank shaped like the White House made her laugh, along with five different types of bald eagle toys and stuffed animals. The cheese grater with the American flag on it, however, just made her want to scratch her head.

_Where do people get ideas for these things-_

"I know this place is a tourist trap, but really? You go for that?"

She jumped and turned around, the sound of Jayden's voice and its proximity almost causing her to toss the grater into the air. "...Jesus, you really need to stop sneaking up on me like that."

The sunglasses came off, and the amusement in his eyes didn't match his serious expression at all. "You disappeared from the front, so I was wondering if I'd have to send in a search party. I had a description written up and everything, but I decided it'd be better to head in myself."

"How heroic of you." Madison replied, putting a hand on her hip. "It's good to know that I've got my knight in rusted armor ready to save me from bad coffee and overpriced cheese graters."

"I warned you I'd make an awful knight. Anyway, the coffee at the station was downright lethal. That cheese grater, not so much, but...it's a goddamn cheese grater. If you're going to get something from DC at least buy something that properly represents it."

She put it back on the shelf and raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Jayden reached around her, aiming for one of the shelves by her back and pulled out a tiny American flag. "This, no contest. Kids love their pentagon-shaped model kits and parents love placating them, but a classic is a classic." he stated, tapping her on the forehead with it before putting it back on the shelf.

The action caught her by surprise, but she tried to cover it up with an indignant response. "You can get one of those from the corner store back in Philadelphia. If I'm going to get Shaun anything, I'd like for it be a little more imaginative. No offense."

"Ah, the truth comes out." A small smile settled onto his face. "...I figured that was why you were here. I don't exactly see you walking away with a boatload of merchandise for yourself."

"I like to think I'm not as bad as the stereotypical tourist." she replied, walking over to another shelf in order to put some space between them. "Shaun likes seeing where I've been, even if I just send back a silly postcard and a pin. Ethan's kind of the same way, but I know it's all because of Shaun. He loves seeing him be excited about something."

"After everything I wouldn't be surprised if he just chose to spoil him rotten. I know I would. Poor kid."

_He's still worried about him. He doesn't even try to hide it._

She remembered Shaun showing her the birthday card he had received from the agent back in January, and was still amazed at his attempts to stay in touch with him. There was something to admire about that, and even now months later, the concern was still there. That feeling of attachment was one that she knew all too well.

"Ethan's doing that and then some. Shaun won't admit it, but he's loving the attention. You know how boys can be." she replied, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Have you been spending a lot of time with them?"

Madison's smile slowly slipped away. "Sort of. Shaun's busy enough with Ethan and his mother, Grace, and I... It's a little strange for some random woman to try and break into that."

Jayden frowned, folding his arms in front of him. "...Random? Madison, for someone who helped Ethan as much as you did I think you're selling yourself short."

She shook her head. "They were a family long before I showed up. I'm a journalist who helped them. It was difficult enough getting Ethan to trust me again after that came out, but... It doesn't matter what I've done. I shouldn't force myself into their lives. It's not that simple."

The awkward hint to her voice was a little too easy to catch, and she kept her eyes squarely on the shelves. She didn't want to see him analyzing her, because that was what he was good at. Analyzing and figuring people out. She could hide it all she wanted to, but he was capable of reading her like a book. For some reason it was just that easy.

"I see." Madison glanced over at him just as he turned away, their eyes meeting briefly. "It's complicated."

_I'm making it complicated. There's nothing wrong with visiting Shaun and caring about him. It's...it's Ethan that I keep changing my mind about. I really need to quit being indecisive about that._

"...Forget it. It's embarrassing, and I shouldn't have mentioned it to begin with. I should be looking for something for Shaun, instead of indirectly convincing you how much my life is starting to resemble a soap opera. Just pretend I didn't mention it."

The silence that came this time around was not even half as comfortable as before, and she knew that she was mostly to blame for that. Discussions about anyone's personal life could be like tiptoeing on a field of landmines, and if she had to guess, he'd rather keep his mouth shut than tackle that topic. Especially since she had yet to ask him any questions in that area beyond what his partner was like. Come to think of it, she didn't know much about him at all.

_The man's a blank slate. You don't know if_ _he's got brothers and sisters, a pet, or if he's even_ single _, for crying out loud. For all his talk about how work defines him and coffee keeps him running, you really have no idea what he's choosing to leave out._

He honestly struck her as the type that wouldn't be married with a dozen children while living in suburbia, but stranger things have happened. She dated and knew enough men to make the assumption that there were quite a few exceptions to the norm, and Jayden could very well be one of them. He'd been more than a little unpredictable already, but who's to say that it would stop there?

_This is what happens when life decides to shake things up a bit. Ethan, Norman...when did Sam manage to become the only man in my life that wasn't infuriating?_

Sighing in frustration, she leaned her back against the shelf and looked over at Jayden who had wandered further down the row. He had come to a stop, his eyes drifting across the floor as if following something, but there was nothing to be found. The faded tile floor was clear of any objects, still or moving. She frowned at his odd behavior and kept on watching him, but he continued to focus on a single moving spot.

Madison pushed herself away from the shelf and took an experimental step forward, watching him closely. "Norman?"

His brow had wrinkled in confusion, and he turned to glance at her as he started to sway on his feet. There was a question in his eyes, one that he began to open his mouth to ask, but he paused, the color draining from his face.

The book fell to the floor and the minute she saw his eyes roll up, she was running to catch him, his weight sending them both crashing to the ground.

"Norman? Norman!" He was pale, too pale. She gently set him on the ground and held her hand to his forehead, jerking it back in surprise at how cold his skin felt.

_Shit, he's freezing!_ "God, Norman? Talk to me, say something!" He was out, completely dead to the world.

Her shaky fingers searched his neck for a pulse, finding the rapid beat there too quick to be healthy. Realizing their options were slim, she turned in the direction of the cashier and called out for help, the panic beginning to set in. Something needed to be done, she didn't know what, but she couldn't just sit here and wait. Not while he was left like this.

A feeling of uselessness washed over her, weighing her down as she stared at the unconscious agent. She wanted to help him. She wanted to, but she didn't know how.

* * *

He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. Everything was lost and out of focus, his senses limited to the pounding that he heard and the throbbing pressure building in his skull. At some point in time he became aware of the fact that his eyes were closed, and he blinked multiple times, not expecting the light above to be as harsh as it was.

_Shit. Feels like my head's been stuffed full of cotton balls._

He couldn't see a damn thing either. Jayden blinked again, the brightness in his vision revealing some movement, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. It was all one giant blurry mess. Something then touched the side of his face, the steady warmth cutting through some of the fog that had settled over him. Jayden leaned into it, his eyes drifting shut again. He didn't want to face the light, not yet.

_Besides, that feels kind of...nice. Interesting._

Whatever was touching him turned his head to the right, another sound beginning to rise over his heartbeat, and he pursed his lips as he processed it.

"-an? I need you to stay awake-"

_Words? I guess that's a someone rather than a something, isn't it?_

He scrunched his eyebrows together as he reluctantly opened his eyes again. The someone that was speaking to him was close, and still very much out of focus. There was something familiar about the woman's voice, however, and he kept his eyes set in that direction while his mind continued to play catch up.

"That's right, look at me. I'm here. It's okay."

The sound was soft and reassuring, keeping him relaxed and calm. Panic probably should've set in by now, but for whatever reason he felt was going to be okay. That's what the voice kept on telling him. The voice that was rapidly becoming more and more familiar by the second. He tried moving his arms, but they felt more like weights than actual limbs. After a few more tries he did manage to raise one of his hands to reach out to the woman tending to him and his fingers grazed her, searching for more of the comforting warmth that she was providing.

"Norman?" The images were starting to clear up, and he squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. That seemed to do the trick, bringing the woman hovering over him into focus. At first glance she appeared calm, but her eyes told a different story.

Uncertainty? Fear? Concern? No stranger would look at him like that. He was studying her face intently when things finally clicked. "...Madison?"

She exhaled the breath that she was holding, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Yeah, it's me. It's Madison. God, you scared the hell out of me. You fainted."

Her hand lingered by his cheek for a few seconds before moving to rest on his shoulder. He found himself missing it and almost snorted at the stray thought.

_Probably hit my goddamn head on the way down too. That's got to be it._ "How...how long was I out?"

"About ten minutes. Do you remember where we are?"

Jayden glanced around, his field of vision mostly blocked by Madison, but he didn't recognize the area that they were currently in. "I thought we were at that shop, you know...the one with all that touristy crap?"

Madison grinned, albeit weakly at his response. "We are, but the manager helped me move you into the shop's back room. If we'd left you out there you would've woken up to a crowd rather than me. You know how people are."

"Damn rubberneckers." He groaned, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes to combat some of the pressure buildup. It didn't do much, but it did cancel some of it out, leaving him feeling minutely better than before. Steeling himself for it, he began to sit up, the motion odd to his partially uncoordinated body. He almost fell back but Madison caught him, her arm curling around his back.

"Hey, careful there. Sudden movements aren't good when you're feeling like this."

It was strange having her so close to him, but he was quickly getting the impression that she was used to taking care of others. It'd been years since he had given anyone the opportunity to do that. "Uh, got it. Still, I'm fine. I just need a few minutes to finish waking up. Nothing to it."

She gave him a look. "I mean it. Try to take it easy, Norman. We're in no rush."

He finished sitting up, and ran his hands over his face, idly checking them once he was done. No color stained his fingers, but he was definitely feeling the remains of a cold sweat. He knew exactly what had caused it, but what worried him more was his reaction to it.

_One damn ball. One fake tennis ball rolling across the floor and I'm out like a light. Neither of those things should've happened. I haven't even touched ARI today._

The illusions usually came directly after using it. This was the second time this had happened independent of its involvement, and it made a nervous chill run down his back.

_The first time it happens, it's a fluke, a random occurrence. The second time it happens you begin to worry more and actively try to stop it. The third time it happens? ...There's no nice way of putting it. You're fucked._

He was planted right at the second offense, with no sure way of knowing if he was already on his way to strike number three. Exhaling a shaky breath, he noticed the way his temperature kept seesawing back and forth from hot to cold, and knew another set of withdrawal symptoms were creeping up on him. It went hand in hand with the hallucinations without fail, but if there was a time for that to happen, it certainly wasn't now.

Going on autopilot, he attempted to subtly pat himself down to double-check what was there and what wasn't. His suit coat was still on him, along with his badge and wallet, and he mentally checked those off of his list. His sunglasses followed after that, their imprint easy to feel through the fabric. The last item, one smaller one, he felt right over his heart. That goddamn vial of tripto. He needed it close by, just in case. Just in case his mind tried to tell him again that there was something there that clearly wasn't.

Jayden sighed in relief before glancing down, and raised an eyebrow when he noticed the small blanket covering him. It appeared that Madison and the manager had made a little makeshift bed of sorts for him out of various items from the store. He pulled the flag-themed blanket back, eager to get away from some of its now stifling heat, and spotted the flower-print tablecloth that acted as his mattress. "Classy."

Madison rolled her eyes at him, her mood improving slowly but surely. "The store with all the fancy sheets and elaborate comforters was further up the street. Sorry, but you make do with what you've got. No complaints."

He got ready to wryly apologize for fainting at the wrong location, but was interrupted when the door on the wall opposite them opened, revealing an older man with a paper cup in his hand. "Ah, your friend's awake! I was getting ready to call for an ambulance."

_Thankfully he didn't. That's something I don't want to mess around with right now, that's for sure._ "I'm alright, no worries. I'm sorry for troubling you like this."

The manager handed Jayden a cup of water and smiled, looking visibly relieved. "It's no trouble. We've got all sorts of things here just in case something bad happens, though I think you're the first to faint like that."

_And the list of glowing achievements grows. Nice._

He downed the water quickly, coughing at the sharp sensation on his dry throat and felt more than little embarrassed when Madison lightly pounded on his back to help him out. It was a reflexive motion on her part, but he still didn't know how to react to it.

She managed to remain blissfully unaware of his self-consciousness, however, and waited until he was done coughing to glance over at the manager with a smile. "Thank you for helping us. I don't know what we would've done without it."

"Don't worry about it. Do you think you two'll need anything else while I'm back here?"

"Do you have a bathroom?" Jayden rasped, attempting to clear his throat. He needed to do something before the shakes truly began to set in. His hands were already beginning to tremble, and he didn't want anyone to be around him when the full brunt of them hit.

The man nodded, gesturing towards the door. "Just the one, but when you exit this door it'll be down the hallway to the right. If you need anything, just come to the front of the store to get me. The name's Bill."

They thanked him, and while Jayden was grateful he was also aware of the timer ticking away in his head. The sooner he got in there the better. Bill left, and the moment the door closed he tried to get up. It went about as well as his initial attempt to sit up had, and he had no choice but use Madison to brace himself.

"Are you feeling well enough to get up?" she asked, giving him a concerned look.

"I'm awake, aren't I?" he muttered, irritated at his inability to do much of anything without her help. She put his arm around her shoulders, giving him something stable to lean on and he slowly got to his feet. He stumbled a little, but she kept him steady, and thankfully didn't ask any questions. At least, not yet. They would come eventually, but for now she did nothing but give him the privacy he wanted.

The two moved towards the door, and Madison propped it open so he could slip outside with little trouble. The bathroom was a few feet down the hall, not a far walk by any means, and he pulled away from her to grab the handle. A cold sweat was starting to settle on his brow as he fiddled with it, but he ignored it along with the increased shaking of his hands. The door swung inward and he turned the light on, revealing a blinding white room. He narrowed his eyes temporarily, the pounding sensation not appreciating the sight at all.

_Fuck, that's bright. Just get in there and close the door, and everything will be all right. It's only a few more steps..._

He stepped inside and tried to give Madison a reassuring smile, but it ended up coming across as more of a strained grimace. "Seriously, I'm fine. Worry any more and you'll need some blood pressure medication."

The joke fell rather flat in the face of her serious expression. "I can afford it. You'll call me if anything goes wrong, right?"

"Yeah." He broke eye contact and let his eyes wander across the floor. "Yeah, of course."

She leaned against the wall by the door as it closed, and he knew that she wouldn't budge an inch until she knew for sure that he was okay. Considering what he was suffering from, that was the last thing he needed, but it could be dealt with. He just needed to be careful. Madison didn't need to know about this. He didn't want her to ever know about this.

The handle to the cold water on the sink took more force than he expected to turn it, but the minute he got it to move he immediately began splashing the freezing water on his face. That was the drill, every time. He glanced at the mirror in front of him between splashes and hated how utterly drained he looked.

_You know, I'd be worried too if the person I was talking to looked fine one minute, fainted the next, and then woke up looking like death warmed over. Who knows what kind of conclusions she's drawing from this._

Pausing to exhale, he felt the shaking come and go, slowly traveling down his arms to his fingertips. Gripping the sides of the sink helped him dissipate the sensation slightly, and he closed his eyes to concentrate on anything but what he was going through right now. Feeling like crap obviously made that difficult, but he had to try. It wasn't like it could make things any worse than they already were.

A sound suddenly cut through the running of the faucet and his unsteady breathing, causing his eyes to shoot open. One lone tennis ball rested in the sink in front of him, floating above the water swirling down the drain. Jayden threw himself back, his body quaking.

_No. Not now. Not again._

He shut his eyes tightly, holding his head in his hands. "It's a trick. It's not real, so you have no reason to even think it is. Get a fucking grip, Norman." Another splash met his ears, but he kept his eyes closed. If he ignored it, it would go away. It had to. It _had_ to.

_You know better than that. Make it go away. You know how._

He opened his eyes and another sound began to rise in volume. It was one he knew well. The gentle breeze that without warning could turn into a violent storm. Golden leaves flew by him and he became startlingly aware of the tube hiding in his pocket.

_That's the only way to stop this. You have to. Now, before it's too late._

The shakes threw off his frantic movements, causing him to almost tear his inner coat pocket open. After a few tries he successfully managed to extract the vial of triptocaine and unsteadily held it in front of his face. He eyed the electric blue powder with the same familiar combination of desire and reluctance, and grit his teeth in frustration at the set of choices in front of him.

_Damned if you do, damned if you don't._

He opened the little vial and saw his reflection repeating his motions. Why aren't you fighting harder, he asked it. Why? The fear made him shake just as badly as the need for tripto did, but he couldn't answer. The leaves rained down behind him and he instinctively began to raise the tube to his face. He struggled against it, his hand moving as if through molasses, but it couldn't be stopped.

"Why? Why can't I just fucking fight this?" he asked aloud, squeezing his eyes shut.

_Simple. It takes the pain away. Nothing to it._


	5. Chapter 5

A bell rang in the distance as another customer left the small souvenir shop, but Madison's eyes remained glued to the off-white door sitting a few feet from where she was standing. The nervous energy running through her made her tap her foot in an uneven rhythm, but it reflected her current condition better than anything else could.

She glanced down at the watch on her wrist. Ten minutes and not a word. Whether that was a good or bad thing she had no clue, but every second spent focusing on the watch's moving hands rather than the door looming in front of her was time wasted on something that didn't need her immediate attention. She had to be ready for anything. Even if it was nothing more than one tired, disgruntled, and grumpy agent. That was the ideal scenario.

_He should have a good explanation for fainting like that, or at least a damn good excuse. There's something off there, Mad, and you know it._

But would driving herself nuts with questions about his condition help her any? Wasn't it enough if he was okay? Thinking about it would at least keep her from compulsively glancing at her watch, but each new idea or theory sounded worse than the last.

_Exhaustion? He looked like he didn't get a lot of sleep while Shaun was missing before, but we're talking about days without it here. He had to have been dead on his feet before anything remotely close to that could happen. Insomnia? I wouldn't know unless I asked, but that doesn't seem likely either. He looked fine earlier, maybe a little pale, but he's always been like that. ...What if it's a medical condition?_

Her eyes widened as the thought sunk in, and she quickly shook her head. That was a huge jump from sleep deprivation, but she didn't dismiss it as quickly as she wished she had.

_Oh God, they wouldn't let him be on the force with something serious like that...would they? No, they wouldn't. No. They wouldn't send a terminally ill or otherwise sick agent out to do anything. But maybe he wasn't meant to do much outside of the station. He could've been limited to paperwork and the clues that the other officers had found, but then why even ask for an agent if you were going to be stuck babysitting him the entire time? It just doesn't make any sense.  
_

But Jayden hadn't really left her with much else to consider. Normal conversations didn't end with someone passed out cold on the floor with the other party frantically trying to tend to them. That was as far from normal as you could get. She recalled how cold he had felt to her, the clammy skin and his unfocused gaze telling her something, but what? What was she missing?

"What aren't you telling me, Norman?" she asked, curiosity and concern both struggling with the other.

The door in front of her simply remained where it was, its silence forbidding in its own right.

* * *

Nothing.

There was nothing, and in turn he felt nothing. No fear, no anger, no regret, no such thing. Jayden rested his head against the white-tiled wall and let his eyes travel along the lines of the wall opposite him, taking in everything and equally ignoring it all at once.

He could think again, but instead he basked in the peace that surrounded him. No leaves, no illusions, no temptations. Only the running water of the faucet remained, but that didn't register much compared to the overwhelming sense of relief flowing through his veins. The lack of tension only added to the mellow high he reveled in, and he felt his lips curve into a lazy smile. A part of him wanted to savor this for what it was. To let it keep on going for as long as he could.

However, something was different this time around. Some part of him still retained a certain sense of awareness in spite of the disconnect he felt.

_It was real, wasn't it?_

He blinked a few times, running his hands over his face. The bright room, the moment of peace, the calm settling over him? As he continued to focus on it he could already feel his senses returning to him, along with a stark sense of how disconnected he truly was.

Seeing the little vial roll innocently roll across the floor only served to speed up the process. The flash of blue from within brought the last few minutes roaring back with an almost crushing intensity and Jayden felt himself begin to shake from an entirely different emotion altogether.

Pushing himself away from the wall he snatched the small container from the floor and grabbed the edge of the the sink to pull himself the rest of the way up. The lid went flying across the room as he dumped the contents down the drain, the blue powder taunting him briefly before disappearing. Each blue speck that remained he made sure to remove, scrubbing the sink with his hands until nothing but white ceramic stared back at him.

The vial in turn was tossed into the toilet, and he almost broke the metal handle off in his rush to get it out of his sight. He had to get rid of it. All the excuses in the world couldn't make him keep it now, not a single goddamn one of them.

He wiped the sweat from his face with a trembling hand, nervously eying the swirling water until it went back to being perfectly still. The tripto was gone, all of it, but he knew better. Getting rid of it didn't change a thing. He'd still taken it, letting his feelings overwhelm his better judgment.

_That's another strike. And here you were starting to look like an upstanding citizen, a regular member of society. What a fucking joke._

The truth to that statement twisted his stomach into knots even a contortionist couldn't perform, his body reacting to that by converting it all into an episode of pure, disgusted, rage. He spun and slammed his fist into the wall by the mirror as hard as he possibly could, his need for an outlet overriding both his common sense and better judgment. The pain shot through him briefly, dulled by the remains of tripto in his system, but it was something that he could feel. Something that actually cut through the self-inflicted numbness and complacency. He hit the wall two more times before the anger fell away as quickly as it had flared up, its loss leaving him staring dumbly at the unharmed tiles.

Not a single scratch. He ran his shaky hands over his face before leaning forward to rest his forehead against the wall, taking in how cool the tiles felt against his skin. "...It's a setback. You can recover from this, you know you can." Jayden whispered, repeating the same phrase over and over. He had to believe it. He had to have something to believe in in order to get past this hurdle, and if he couldn't believe in himself then what was the point?

_Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. That's what._

Wincing at his throbbing hand, he pushed away from the wall and ran some cold water over it to take some of the edge off. In his rush to break something it seemed that he'd only succeeded in hurting himself. Go figure.

Anger and aggression were far from the rational and calm viewpoint that he preferred, so when either of them won good things rarely resulted from it. His injured hand was clear evidence of that. While tending to it he gave himself a quick once-over in the still intact mirror. He'd somehow had enough sense to avoid shattering it during his episode, but only barely. Two feet to the left and he'd be nursing a bleeding hand while trying to figure out a way to explain to both Madison and the store manager why he'd taken it upon himself to damage Bill's property and get blood all over the floor.

And he already had some explaining to do. He exhaled and straightened his posture, not ready to face the fact that he was about to look Madison in the eye and lie about everything if he had to. The mirror aimed his unhappy expression right back at him and he dismissed it quickly, forcing himself to appear as casual as possible.

_Look the part, Norman. Even if you aren't well-adjusted at least try to act like it._

Now he just looked one step above miserable. He took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and exhaled, resting both of his hands on the sides of the sink. _That's the best you can do, huh? Nice._ He chuckled bitterly to himself and shook his head as he leaned back and adjusted his tie.

When he was ready Jayden approached the off-white door and unlocked it, making sure that his bruised hand was kept in his pocket. Hesitation attempted to creep up on him again as he went through the motions, but he pushed through it regardless. He'd been through worse situations before and like hell was he going to let a stupid mistake like this affect him any more than it already was.

Madison snapped to attention the moment he poked his head out from behind the door, and the self-conscious smile he gave her this time was a lot closer to a real one. "Uh, sorry to keep you waiting like this. I didn't think I'd be that long in there."

"Don't worry about it. Was everything okay in there? You didn't fall, did you?"

"No, I uh, ran into the trash can. More than once. Repeatedly. Guess I better cancel that ballet audition." It had been laying on the ground when he'd left, so there did seem to be some truth to that statement, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

"You'd have to wear something other than that suit first, and tights are a bit of a stretch, no offense."

_There goes that unlikely pipe dream._ "None taken."

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked, getting right back to business.

_Fan-fucking-tastic._ "...Better, I guess. Might be a good idea to cut down on the all-nighters and the espresso shots, you think?"

The look she gave him made him sober up quickly. "It's none of my business and I'll say that now, but Norman, people don't faint like that if nothing's wrong with them."

"No, they don't, do they?" He was set to be on the defensive but there was nothing confrontational about her words or stance at all. The concern there was warranted, but having that kind of attention sent his way only made him avoid looking at her, for all the good that was. His bruised hand also didn't appreciate it when he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, the motion making him wince as a result. Though, whether that was entirely due to the pain or the guilt he couldn't say.

"...I have been focusing more on work than sleep for the last few months, but I guess I underestimated how stupid of a choice that really was." That part was actually true. His sleep patterns had been shot ever since he'd finished the case in Philly, and when the symptoms from ARI got kicked up a notch they slipped even more. Putting off any attempts to fix them had done him no favors at all, but they weren't the real problem. They were simply another casualty of it.

"Working yourself to death won't help anyone, and you know it. What happens if you drop during a case? What if your partner isn't there to help you? I remember how exhausted you looked before and God, I really shouldn't-" She pressed her hands to her temples and sighed deeply. "Dammit, I even don't know where to start when it comes to you."

"You're free to tell me I'm acting like a goddamn idiot if it'll help any."

Madison removed her hands and shook her head. "I'm tempted to, but I'll pass." She wanted to believe him. That much he got from the brown eyes aimed at him, but there was something else there that he was having trouble reading. "It _is_ only exhaustion, right Norman?"

"It's nothing a good night's sleep won't fix. Madison, I'm fine."

There it was clear as day. Doubt. She shrugged it off as quickly as it came around, but it was obvious to him that she suspected something was going on. The question was whether or not she was willing to call him out on it.

She sighed and folded her arms, chewing on her lip as she mulled it over. The longer she thought about it the more nervous he got, but after a while she dropped her arms and frowned. "...All right. I guess I'll have to take your word on it. Do you need to call someone right now to pick you up?"

And just like before she chose not to push it any further. Some part of him felt a little ashamed at the sheer amount of relief that came with her response, but this was a secret that was better left hidden. He was an addict. ARI and tripto were his drugs of choice. Madison respected him now, but how would she react if she knew that his time on the Origami Killer case was split between helping Shaun and fighting the urge to take tripto every time the smallest bump or argument came up? How would she feel if she found out that he got high off of the same damn drug not even fifteen minutes ago?

_In all honesty, she'd probably punch me, call me a fucking moron, and never speak to me again._

And yet, here he was with the perfect convenient out. It made looking her in the eye that much more difficult. "Uh, no...no, I can walk. I left my car over by the bookstore, so I still need to head back there to get it. It's not far, but I shouldn't have any problems getting back there myself. Don't worry about it."

"I'll try not to, but I'm not letting you go back by yourself either. If anything goes wrong, _anything_ , I'm getting a doctor on the phone. Got it?"

"Got it. I'll dial the number myself, if you want me to." Jayden replied, more than willing to comply with the small request. After what he had just dodged he was practically willing to agree to anything she could come up with.

"I'll hold you to it, and that's a promise. Until we get to that bookstore you're stuck with me, no question about it."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled and rested his back against the wall by her. "Funny, I'd think you'd want to get rid of me by now."

The change in expression was subtle, but there was no mistaking the faint smile on her face. He'd take that over her worried look any day. "I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. At least not until we get back to where we started. Speaking of which," She gestured towards the office they had stepped out of earlier. "I'll grab our stuff so we can get out of here. It's getting late, and I don't want to see what DC counts as rush hour traffic. I've also got a couple of questions for the managers over at the store about tomorrow, so the sooner we get there the better-"

He reached out to touch her arm as she began to walk away and she paused, giving him a curious look. What was he going to do? Thank her? Apologize to her? His inability to decide left him floundering rather spectacularly, and he settled for staring at her instead. That same odd ability of hers to stick out applied even now, subconsciously drawing his eye without even meaning to.

A guilty look passed over him, and he was finally given his voice back. "...Thanks. You didn't have to stick around and look after me, but you did. Not a lot of people would do that for someone they barely know."

"There was no reason for you to look after me back in Philly either, but you still did." she replied, the gratitude in her voice just as strong as the day he had first received it. "And back then I was some nosy journalist who just so happened to dig up your phone number. I still owe you one, so think of this as me trying to repay the favor."

She covered his hand with hers as she gestured towards the office again and he let her go, leaving him alone with the washed out walls of the hallway.

* * *

"You've done this kind of thing before."

Madison glanced over at Jayden, her jumbled thoughts almost making her miss the comment completely. They were slowly walking down the same sidewalk they had taken earlier that day, and in between the endless array of mental comments, and moments where she would watch him, her attention was definitely not on the present. Not when she had their earlier conversation to go over.

_And what he said didn't really count as either a good reason or a damn good excuse, did it Mad?_

It bothered her more than it should have and she knew it, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. Her stress from Stacy's case had collided rather heavily with the stress from his fainting spell, leaving her emotions scattered and more than a little confused at the surge of adrenaline and odd turn of events. What she wanted to do was channel all of it into annoyance at the man in question, but that was more likely to earn her a splitting headache rather than genuine results.

They both knew he was overworked. They both knew that he wasn't taking great care of himself, but what frustrated her the most was the fact that if that happened to him on the job, what then? Would his partner be able to protect him? Would that cost someone their life? ...Would it cost him his life? He was playing fast and loose with something that he damn well shouldn't have been, and she should've taken him up on his offer to call him an idiot based on that alone.

But now was the time to move on to other things, and by other things that meant acknowledging the FBI agent walking beside her. The same agent that currently had her flipping between worry and exasperation. "Hm?"

"You know, taking care of others. It almost seems like it's second nature to you." he noted, keeping his eyes in front of him. "Back in Philadelphia, I'd noticed that someone had tended to Ethan while he'd been going through the trials. Nothing fancy, just basic first aid, but in his condition I doubt he'd be able to take care of it on his own. Maybe it's a stretch, but you seem to fit in that role pretty nicely for a journalist."

_Okay, the fact that he drew that from an off-hand observation is a just a bit eerie. Even for someone like him._ "You're making a lot of assumptions there, Norman."

"But I'm not wrong, am I?" he asked, giving her that infuriating little half-smile of his.

She didn't know what annoyed her more, his confidence in his answer, or the fact that he had hit the nail on the head without even trying. "No, but I will throw something at you if you don't tone that satisfied smirk of yours down a few notches first."

If anything, that caused him to grin more. "Does this count more as a strike or a home run?"

"Do you really want to test me on this?"

Her sunglasses-covered glare was far from intimidating in its current state, but judging from the way Jayden seemed to be eying her it didn't take much more than that. "No, not really. I'm attached to my limbs. _Very_ attached. No bragging in exchange for minimal maiming?"

"I think I can work with that." she half-joked, feeling her expression soften. "Anyway, you're not wrong about either of those things. I got used to taking care of people when I was younger, if you count using rolls of gauze and duct tape to treat scraped knees and paper cuts."

"What about your mother?"

Her smile slipped for a moment and she fiddled with the strap of her purse. "My parents got divorced a while back, so back in Ohio I stayed with my dad and brothers. My mom was a couple of towns away so it wasn't like she could come running every time one of us fell down and hurt ourselves, so I kind of took over. The guys always found creative ways to get bruises and I'd always feel like I'd have to be there to take care of them. My brothers would climb trees, chase cats, play pranks on each other, etc. They were boys and just did typical brother stuff."

His attention was entirely focused on her now, the little details about her family drawing him in more than she expected them to. "Such as?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You know the stories about little girls who fall asleep only to wake up with most of their hair chopped off, right?" He nodded, watching her warily. "Well, let's just say that I got used to having short hair at an early age. I almost killed them after that, but instead I slipped earthworms into their lunches. We were a real mature bunch."

"Never a dull moment, huh?"

"Not at all." she replied, remembering more than a few of those times fondly. Her brothers could be jerks, but she wouldn't trade them for the world. For every bad moment when they tried to tease her there was another where they played sports together, or settled down to watch a movie. Things would've been perfect if her mother would've been there, but for what it was it was close enough. They were her family and she would've done anything for them, tricks or no tricks.

_Besides if they did try anything, I always made sure to find some way to get even in the end. The best part was that they usually never saw it coming either._

"So..." she began, turning back to him. "How about you? Do you have any siblings who might think it'd be a good idea to use kites as hang gliders or throw a potato into the microwave?"

He shook his head. "No, I had fifty cousins instead. I could've become an Olympic runner after all the times I had to avoid their attempts at 'brotherly bonding'."

Thinking of him as a kid around Shaun's age was tough, but the mental image of a small, serious-faced boy seemed to fit him perfectly. "Sounds like they tried to make your life hell. My brothers managed to leave me out of that, but having three of them to deal with was still pushing it. There were days where I'd have given anything to have the house to myself."

They paused at one of the crosswalks and he shrugged. "An empty house is what it is. Empty. Think about it, though. Which would you rather be left with? The sounds of people going about their daily lives, or nothing at all?"

Madison tilted her head to the side as she considered his question. "A while back I would've picked the empty house just because it was exactly what I was looking for. A place for myself with no noises, no messes, and all the privacy in the world. You don't really get any as long as you're living with family. Now, after having more than my fair share of empty apartments and alone time, I think I can safely say that I miss those days sometimes. ...Some days I miss them a lot."

The light changed and she only had a few seconds to notice the dark lenses studying her before they were on the move again. She stayed close to Jayden's side this time around, trying to avoid being swept away by the group of people they had fallen in with, and semi-held on to the back of one of his sleeves so they wouldn't get separated. He glanced back the first time she unintentionally tugged a little too hard, but didn't object as they made their way across the street.

After a few close calls, however, he slowed down and she let her hand curl around his arm instead, taking it. The ease with which it happened honestly surprised her, but his lack of a reaction told her to chalk it up to his tendency to be polite. It was also easier to stick together this way, sure, but once they were safely on the other side she quickly let go, the two of them continuing onward in silence.

Soon enough they were back at where they had started from, the bookstore. Madison glanced up at the sign before turning back to a distracted Jayden who had taken to watching the cars speed by.

_So, what's your bright idea this time, girl? Your last option indirectly resulted in him passed out on the floor, so I hope you've got something better in mind._

"Hey, I've got some things to do the rest of tonight, but maybe tomorrow night we can grab a drink?" she offered, mentally kicking herself for even asking him. "I'm only here until Monday morning, so maybe you can show me what the nightlife's like around here."

_On a scale of 1-10, I think that barely counts as a 3 in terms of delivery, Mad. Especially considering who you're asking, and what you just asked him to do._

His attention quickly shifted to her, and she could tell that he wasn't expecting the invitation either. "...Tomorrow? Well, work's been alternating between easy and hellish and my bum of a partner hasn't been helping much, so I uh, I don't know if I'll be free tomorrow even if it is a Sunday. We've got a bad backlog going on."

She had expected him to give her a response like that, but it still didn't dull her disappointment as much as she had hoped. "I know you've got a lot going on, so it's not a problem. Dropping by here was already short notice, so it was nice to even get a chance to see you. As random as it was."

Her face had begun to color again, and she prayed that his thoughtful expression wasn't due to that. "You leave Monday morning, right?"

"Yeah, it's a ridiculously early flight." she replied, already dreading the idea of getting up in time for it. "6:30 AM. I just _love_ getting up before the sun's out."

"Do you have a ride to the airport?"

Madison put a hand on her hip as she processed things, wondering if this was going where she thought it was going. "I got a taxi the first time around and was just going to do that again. It keeps things simple. Why?"

"I could take you." he stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

She immediately gave him a look. There was no way that she would tolerate him bending over backwards to make up for her failed offer, especially since he owed her nothing to begin with.

"I mean it! I'll be up early anyway, and I can just head over to work after I drop you off. There's nothing to it."

"You seriously don't mind driving me around?"

"Wouldn't matter if I did, because I'm still offering. Though, no, of course I don't mind."

Somehow she felt shy again, reduced to that by an offer for a ride to the airport of all things. Her subconscious reminded her not to look into it more than she already was, but she still appreciated the offer. "All right. You're quite the stubborn gentleman, Jayden. I better get you my phone number..."

She dug around in her purse for the little notepad she kept in there and drew out a pen as well only to have Jayden hold up a hand to stop her. "You don't need to do that. I just need the address of your hotel and what time you're heading out-"

"Norman," He paused mid-sentence as she held up her hand in return. "I'm getting you those details, but if you're picking me up you should at least have my number. Besides, let me have fun with this. It's been a while since I've formally given it to anyone."

It was an innocent enough comment, but it still earned her an expression similar to the one he'd had back in the cafe. He stiffly slipped the folded note into his inner coat pocket, the tips of his ears turning pink, and she wondered how he'd react if she actually tried to flirt with him.

"Uh, I'll call you when I'm on my way then."

"Sounds good to me." She tucked the notepad back into her purse and removed her sunglasses. "Seriously, thanks for doing this, and thanks for taking me out today. It was sweet of you to take the time to show me around."

He cleared his throat, the pink making its way to his face as well. "No problem. Just...give me a call if anything comes up."

"Got it. You should probably get a cab to come get you too. I know if I fainted the last thing I'd do is take a ride on my bike, so you should try and take it easy the rest of today if you can." Madison said as she began to walk towards the double-doors of the building. "See you Monday, bright and early."

Jayden nodded, adjusting the book at his side as he shifted on his feet. "Same here. Think you can stay out of trouble until then?"

"I know I can, but can you?" she shot back, grinning as she entered the store.

As the doors closed behind her she looked back one last time, easily picking him out among the scattered people milling around outside. She watched him wander around for a minute before he turned away, his back drifting further and further into the crowd until it disappeared completely from sight.


	6. Chapter 6

She was crying.

The man with a grip around her throat pointed out her reaction to the other men standing nearby and laughed. Covered in dark clothes they blended into the shadows too well. The one holding her tightened his grip as two masked men closed in, enjoying her distraught appearance.

They spoke as if she was nothing more than a inconvenient object. Something that they had no choice but to deal with on the way to their larger goal. Their prize.

She struggled against them, screaming as loud as she could even though her throat could barely take it much longer. Her wrists were already bound and kept behind her, but she wanted to keep on pulling at her bonds in spite of the danger surrounding her. She had to fight. She had to keep on going. The alternative was too terrible to consider. Her actions earned another laugh from the two in front of her, but the one behind her cut her screams off abruptly by applying more pressure to her neck.

Why her? What did they hope to gain?

The man let go, and she choked out a cough before something cold began to slide along the skin of her neck. The knife bit into her neck just enough to draw blood, making her mouth go dry. She wanted to scream again, but her throat couldn't handle it any more. She wanted to ask them what they wanted. She just wanted to know why.

"We don't need a reason." The man behind her whispered, tracing a gloved finger down her cheek. "We simply take, and keep on taking."

The knife's answer followed soon after.

* * *

Madison jerked awake, papers and objects scattering around her as her arms swept across her desk.

The dark surrounded her, the shadows just a touch away, and she thrashed around in a last ditch effort to save herself from anything and everything that could possibly threaten her. The knife lingered in her mind, the sting still felt on her throat and panic truly set in, making her grab at her neck.

Nothing. Her fingers felt nothing but untouched skin as they continued to search. She took in a shuddering breath, the motion not causing her any of the searing pain she expected either.

The small desk lamp took a couple of clicks to turn on, but when it did a faint yellow light illuminated the immediate area around her. She was shaking violently, unsure of her surroundings and unsure of her company, but as her stricken eyes glanced around the room she quickly came to the conclusion that yes, she was alone, and that yes, she was safe. No men in masks, no knives, nothing at all. It disturbed her how real it all seemed, the helplessness and the pain too vivid, too close. Too much of a reminder of before.

_It's not happening. It's not real, relax Mad, relax. No one's here to hurt you. No one._

Her shaky breaths slowed as she began to calm down a little, but she nearly fell out of the chair she was sitting in when a loud buzzing noise went off behind her.

Gripping the edge of the desk with her hands, she turned and spotted the source of it just as it began to make another noise, and her mind jumped to attention. Her phone. Only one person would call her in the middle of the night like this. She dove out of the chair, her muscles aching from the odd position they had been left in, and hurriedly looked around for the small flashing device. Her hands were uncoordinated and her mind was half-asleep, but the adrenaline was already running through her, leaving her in a jittery semi-aware state as she scooped up the ringing phone and after three attempts finally answered it.

"H-hello?"

_"Mad? She's safe."_

She stared out into the shadows of the hotel room, the phrase repeating itself over and over in her head. _...Safe. She's safe. Safe._

Those two words were all it took. Madison found a place to sit on the foot of her bed to steady herself, a giant smile already forming on her face. "Those are literally the words I've been waiting to hear, Sam. When did they find Stacy?"

_"Only a few hours ago, but her parents had a doctor check her out and the worst was only a few bruises and a mild case of exhaustion. Would you believe that a few of the perps were from her school? They heard that her parents had some money and dragged in a couple of extra guys from the local area to try and squeeze a 100K or two out of her parents. They figured it'd be an easy trade, but they were nothing but sloppy kids. They weren't real criminals like a few of the others were, so once they were caught they fessed up fast."_

"Boredom probably drove them to it just as much as the greed did. Talk about a bad mix. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Stacy's parents decided to use some of their so-called 'money' to hire the best lawyers."

_"Got it in one. They're getting ready to bring this to court, so I think you'll be back just in time to wrap this case up neatly. Maybe if the family's feeling welcome enough you'll be able to get an interview, though I think they're going to want to be alone for the next couple of days."_

She did want to get a story about this in the papers, but the idea of going to them so soon after this didn't seem like a good idea at all. "I think they'd throw me out the minute I opened my mouth, Sam. We'll see what happens when I get back, but the first thing on my list is the write up. Do you have any other details that I can throw in there?"

_"Most of it's already in your inbox, so one click should get you everything you need. Just let me know if you need anything else."_

"If a court date comes up definitely send that my way, but other than that I think I'm good. Let me know if Perry decides to rush the press conference too. I'm hoping the paperwork will slow them down long enough for me to get back for it. You're one in a million, you know that?"

_"So you keep on telling me,"_ Sam replied, laughing warmly. _"Now I think it's time for both of us to get some well-deserved shut eye. Talk to you later, Mad, and if anything else comes up you'll be the first to know."_

"Thanks. Night, Sam. I really owe you one."

_"Don't worry about it, just be careful on the flight out. See you back in Philly."_

The phone beeped as she hung up, and she placed it beside her before falling back onto the bed. It was really over. The last of the adrenaline rush left her, her lack of sleep anchoring her body to that very spot.

_What happens now? What will you do, Stacy?_ Madison wondered, her dream coming back in flashes. Even with the light present the shadows still remained, blanketing the room in different shades of black and gray. _How long will it take before things can go back to normal again? Will they ever?_

She rolled over on her side and glanced out towards the darkened window, the night sky stretching out into what seemed to be forever. She really wished she knew.

* * *

"I'm waiting for you to blame me for this."

"For what?" Jayden asked, struggling to open up Madison's ridiculously tiny umbrella. "I can't think of a reason why I'd blame you for bringing the part I missed the most about that place here." It jammed on him, and he shook it as the downpour continued to rage on. "Nope, I'm drawing a total blank. Must've repressed it about the third or fourth time I thought I was going to catch pneumonia."

"Fall's when it rains the most! In _all_ states!" she replied, nearly shouting over the rain. "I'm sure it rains _just_ as much here as it does back in Philly."

"No, we actually have something called the sun here. You know, nice, giant ball of fire, blinds you if you look at it for too long? You remember seeing that the other day, right?"

The exasperated look he got was almost as bad as the one he was giving her damn umbrella. It didn't help that the longer they argued like this, the more soaked the two of them were guaranteed to get. On Saturday he had noticed the clouds coming in, but didn't expect a storm to hit them so suddenly.

The umbrella finally popped open and he tried to hand it to Madison as they began to bicker over who was going to throw her suitcase in the back instead. In the end they both took care of it while juggling their own cargo, both of them calling a truce in time to actually get in his car.

He wiped the water from his face and handed the closed umbrella to Madison, who threw it onto the floor by her feet. "So much for that sundress." she muttered, dressed almost exactly how he remembered her all those months ago. This time however, there was no cast in sight and he didn't miss it one bit.

"A sundress? They sell those there?" he quipped, checking his mirrors before starting the engine. The heater was the next thing he reached for and he had to remind himself not to crank it up to eighty when company was present. Just because he was freezing his ass off due to being soaked by the rain didn't mean that she was as well.

_And that shiver running through you is definitely due to the cold. Only the cold._ He rubbed his hands together and cut off all thoughts on that subject after that.

"Cute. Real cute. I should've worn it just to spite the weather, but I have my limits."

"Really? What could those be?"

She took a long drink of her coffee, absently licking her lips afterwards. "It was white."

"...Oh." The windshield wipers got a lot more interesting after that.

Madison cracked a smile, not even half as oblivious to his discomfort as he wished she was. "That's probably why I'll take a good pair of shoes and jeans over a fancy dress any day. Twice the comfort and none of the awkward embarrassment." She removed the other coffee cup from her arms and held it out to him. "Here."

It was unmarked aside from the hotel's brand on the side, likely grabbed right before she hit the front desk. He eagerly took it, already reveling at how warm it felt in his hands and didn't hide any of his gratitude. "Thanks. Am I that predictable?"

"Asks the man who's worn the same gray suit from the moment I first met him? Tell me you at least have a black one."

"Does dark gray count?"

Her unamused look met his innocent one and he tried to keep a smirk off of his face as they pulled away from the hotel. It didn't take long for them to make it to the highway after that. If there was any benefit to getting up at the crack of dawn, it had to be the decreased number of people on the road. Fewer people, fewer misunderstandings, and fewer accidents were always welcome, no matter what time of day.

He kept his attention on the road, determined not to miss the exit. The silence in the car helped him stick to his task, but he expected a little more than the sounds of the windshield wipers as they kept the rain at bay. Instead she barely moved in her seat. If it wasn't for her eyes scanning the road he would've assumed that she had fallen asleep somewhere along the way. A yawn finally broke the quiet in the car and he snuck a glance at Madison. "Long night?"

She rubbed her eyes before leaning back in her seat. "Sort of. I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Everything okay?"

He exited the highway and the wipers slid by four or five times before he got a response. "...A teenage girl, Stacy Morgan, got kidnapped around a week ago, and the kidnappers wanted to get a ransom out of her parents for her. They just found her yesterday, but I don't think I've had a decent night's sleep since I've started looking into it."

"Where did they take her from?"

"The shopping mall by her school. She ended up dropping her purse while she was there, which gave the cops a chance to check her phone for odd numbers or messages." She paused to take a sip of her coffee, her hand wavering slightly. "Sure enough she had a few threatening texts on there, along with a voice message that told her exactly what they had in mind."

"She didn't tell her parents?" he asked, processing the details given to him.

Madison shook her head. "No. They had no idea that she'd been threatened like that, so the phone call they got later on was a bit of a shock.

I tried to talk to them about Stacy's friends, places she liked to go, her usual routine, but...it took a couple of tries before they'd say anything." She caught his eye and gave him a half-hearted grin. "You know why."

Something was definitely off about her. Nothing about her behavior indicated that this was being treated objectively either. In fact, her rigid body language was telling him the exact opposite. He was starting to wonder if all of her stories affected her on such a personal level, or if this was yet another exception to the rule. However, those thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as the rain began to pound against the windshield. "Well, members of the press don't exactly have the best reputations around. Some are all too willing to make a deal with the devil if it means getting on the front page."

"It's those types that give the rest of us a bad name, but I'm not much of an exception." He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to elaborate. "Front page news, respect and recognition, articles and covers. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want any of it. ...Or the thrill that comes with the chase. But I'm not willing to hang someone else for it. God, I hope I never get to that point."

She rested her head against the window and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. It was an odd conflict of sorts, the story versus the people behind it. Jayden didn't envy her choice in occupation in the slightest, but he'd have to be blind not to see how much it meant to her.

_The curse of being a journalist. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. Huh._ "You're worried about Stacy, right?"

Her head shot up, her defensive posture and tone exactly what he expected from such a question. "Of course I'm worried about her!"

"Well, then I think you'll be okay." He threw on a turn signal as they exited the highway and kept his attention focused on the dark stretch of road in front of them. "You still care. It's when you stop caring that the problems start."

The rain settled down again into a steady rhythm, running down the windshield only to be pushed aside by the wipers. There didn't seem to be much else to say at this point, but he wondered if maybe he should. Another part of him wondered if maybe he'd already said too much. She didn't have to share that detail with him or the personal thoughts attached to it.

He could get into people's heads, see how they thought and worked. Find a way to justify their actions and figure out their next step through their logic, their behavior, their patterns. That was the nature of his job. It was the emotions that tripped him up, made him sloppy. Made everything more...complicated. A degree in psychology did not automatically make him a counselor or a therapist. He could make an educated guess at the right words and string them together in a sequence that usually got the job done, but it wasn't always that simple. People were never that simple.

_Silence sure does beat the old lap-pour, though._ Jayden mused, counting the seconds as they ticked by one by one. _If she was going to go for the jugular, that would certainly be a hell of a way to do it._

He took a drink of his coffee when they paused at the next stoplight and nearly jumped when she spoke up. "...Um, you want some breakfast? I owe you for taking me."

"Breakfast?" he asked, not able to keep the incredulity out of his voice. _That's...quite the tangent._ "This wasn't out of my way, remember? You don't have to get me anything to make up for it."

"You're doing me a favor, so I have to return it. It's only fair. You don't even need to be here right now." she pointed out, her words almost too quiet to hear.

Jayden pursed his lips and sighed. _She's got a point. What the hell are you doing here, actually? A rerun on TV does not usually lead to book signings. Or coffee. Or rides to the airport._ The mental image of her looking down at him came up then and he knew exactly what his mind was intending to imply.

He made a noise of frustration as a car cut in front of them and flipped it off, half out of reflex and half out of a need to just do something. Thinking wasn't getting him anywhere. Overanalyzing things only make it worse. So, in this case he went for choice number three. Ignorance. It was hardly the right or wise choice to make, but at that moment he didn't care. Not even about the fact that it was too dark for the other driver to even notice such an offensive gesture.

Madison's strange expression on the other hand, was highlighted just enough for him to see her perfectly. "How do doughnuts sound?"

"They're okay, I guess?" _Though that actually doesn't sound half bad..._

"I almost want to make a cop joke right now, but I'm not even sure if the same stereotype applies to federal agents."

"No, it applies. Every level of law enforcement needs their fix, even if it's after giving a parking ticket or finishing up a high speed chase. Agents are just better at sneaking around."

"Oh, so hide the doughnuts, but embrace the caffeine addiction?" She was enjoying this. The tell-tale curving of her lips was clear proof of that.

"With wide open arms."

The wipers went by again, each beat cutting through the rain as it trailed down the windshield, giving them both a clearer look at the empty streets. He found himself focusing on the way her fingers were toying with the insulator on her coffee cup instead, each passing car highlighting both her efforts and the curious expression on her face. "...You really are the strangest cop I know."

He couldn't help but grin at that.

* * *

_Polite to a fault. To a goddamn fault._

Madison edged herself in front of him as they both reached for her suitcase and snatched the bag away before he could get his hands on it. "Can we not fight like an old couple every time I need to lift something that belongs to me?"

"We wouldn't if you'd let me help you!" he protested, shuffling around her as she kept the bag out of his reach. "Christ, lady..."

She carried it away and continued to fiddle with her suitcase while Jayden shook his head and double-checked the trunk of his car for anything that may have fallen out. A few other passengers walked by, some of them more in a hurry than others, and Madison tried not to acknowledge the strange looks they'd earned from their brief exchange. She could only imagine the ones sent their way back at the hotel, because between the rain and their mutual stubborn streaks they had hardly made an effort to keep their voices down. If he had let her handle it while he had gotten inside to start the car then it wouldn't have been a problem, but with his unofficial status as her unlikely knight he refused to stand for it.

Her temper flared momentarily, all reminders of the fact that he wasn't trying to be condescending flying out of the window as she stomped off, but she couldn't maintain it. She tried glaring at his back for a couple of seconds as well, but that didn't work either. She kicked her bag, folding her arms in annoyance and watched him finish up his search and close the trunk. He then paused, running through a mental checklist as his hand rested on his chin.

_So, this is my knight?_ _He's...a bit far from the usual type that goes around slaying dragons and saving princesses, but-_ A weird thought occurred to her, and she almost dropped her purse. _Oh, please don't tell me that I was the, no. No._ She covered her eyes and groaned. _...I was the damn princess? Shit. He saved me. Of course I was the princess._

"What's wrong?"

She removed her hands, revealing a concerned and confused Jayden. "You don't want to know." That particular train of thought did not need to be explained to anyone. He raised an eyebrow, but she shook her head hoping the motion would also get rid of any mental images of him saving her. Or sweeping her off of her feet. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm really regretting the whole not-sleeping bit now."

He tilted his head to the side. "For most people, that usually doesn't happen until 2-3 in the afternoon."

"Well, I've got a head start. You on the other hand, probably have more than enough caffeine in you to turn a good chunk of America into chronic insomniacs. I'm surprised you don't have an IV hooked up."

"Trust me. I tried. Too much paperwork."

She laughed. "God, I don't even know if you're trying to be funny any more. I must be at the stage where everything sounds like comic genius, short of someone reading me entries from the dictionary."

"Now for that you'll have to buy me a drink first. Then I promise I'll do my best to murder the English language. For your amusement, of course."

"My amusement? You have no idea how tempting that sounds, Mr. Profiler. No idea." His grin was subtle at first, but what really got her attention was the way his eyes seemed to light up at the whole situation. Light up at her. Madison bit her lip as her face grew warm, _again_ , and she knew she needed to get moving. "-But my plane's not going to wait for me, and I don't think you'd be willing to host me if you were the reason I ended up missing my flight."

She rubbed her eyes as a few more people walked by and once again she was stuck. Thanking him shouldn't have been difficult. It really didn't need to be, but it didn't seem simple either. It definitely didn't seem simple after a weekend like this with someone she would likely only see again on the news or in the paper. Maybe that was why her next idea made sense, because in a matter of minutes she wouldn't have to worry any more about making a fool of herself in front of him. She would just be able to walk away without wasting any more time on what ifs and maybes.

"Hey, one more thing," She stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder. Before she could find a way to talk herself out of it she leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek. To say that he was stunned as she pulled away would've been an understatement. "I've been meaning to do that. You know, for saving my life and everything."

They stood there together for a while, waiting for the other to react. She moved her hand off of his shoulder, idly smoothing down one of his lapels, and they made eye contact briefly. "That's...I didn't think you were serious about that."

"I guess I changed my mind." Back then she thought she was sure of a lot of things. Ethan, Shaun, him. Definitely him. But things changed, and kept on changing. Even now.

She then remembered the fact that her hand was on his shoulder and that she was invading his personal space. She stepped away soon after that. "Look, Jayden-" She paused and looked right at him. "Norman. Take care of yourself. I mean it. I don't want the next story I read about you to be, you know..."

_About you dying. Killed in the line of duty due to some dumb heroic stunt. Maybe even due to caring too much._

Thinking about it left a bad taste in her mouth and she quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, be careful. Also, I know Philly's far from ideal, but if you ever want to visit come by. Ethan, Shaun, and I can give you a better welcome this time around. Maybe we'll even help you find something to like about it. You never know, right?"

It would probably snow in hell first before that happened, but he seemed to be considering it. Even if the smile on his face appeared to fade with each passing second. "Yeah. You never know. I'll keep that in mind."

Madison adjusted her bag and turned away, half-waving as he did the same. It wouldn't be until later in the flight that she'd kick herself for trying to get close to him. For letting herself relax and enjoy the company of someone who never seemed to stop surprising her. Someone she really wouldn't mind getting used to.

Walking away from that just didn't seem right, but there wasn't much that she could do about it.

* * *

And so life went on, his schedule remaining rigid and unchanged in spite of the curve ball chucked at him. The multiple curve balls chucked at him.

Jayden's hands were folded in front of his face as he idly stared at the computer screens sitting in front of him. Files that once had been neatly arranged in ARI were now scattered across both monitors, and any attempts to access the files through the screen resulted in little more than fingerprints and irritation. This was how it was, and now what it needed to be. What it had to be.

Three loud knocks shook him out of it and he took a second to exhale the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Sitting up in his seat, he grabbed a file and flipped through it to make himself look occupied. "Come in!"

The door slipped open and McGinnis poked his head in. "Hey." He pushed the door open further and wandered in with a cup of coffee in his hand and a book shoved under his arm. "How's the paperwork been treating you?"

"Like hell, but what else is new? Are you finished with your portion yet?"

The blonde shook his head. "No, it's sagging a bit due to some unnecessary info, but I'm in the middle of cutting it down."

"It's due by the end of today, so I hope you're not going to blame me when you don't finish it in time." Jayden tapped his fingers on his desk as he leaned back in his chair. "Cooper's been riding your ass lately, so I'm starting to think that you're looking for reasons to get busted."

"I'm a glutton for punishment. Either that or an idiot, but there's no use denying it. Are you busy right now?"

Jayden tilted his head to the side and wondered how he could be paired with someone that had the memory of a goddamn goldfish. "Yeah. Case work, remember? Due today?"

"You're worse than Cooper, you know that? I'm going to finish it, but I was wondering about something. You remember that journalist friend of yours, right?"

He opened his mouth to tell him that she wasn't exactly his friend, but hesitated. He then shifted his posture and clasped his hands in front of him to keep the nervous tapping to a minimum. The pen that came with them seemed to be a suitable distraction. "Ms. Paige? Yeah, what about her?"

"Yesterday, Jill and I were walking down to the coffee shop and decided to stop by the bookstore there. It's been a while since either of us have picked up a book, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a look around..." Matt began as Jayden slowly began to click the ballpoint pen with increased frequency. "and there was a book signing going on. It wasn't anything big, but Jill wanted to check it out. And there she was. Strange coincidence, eh?"

"Yeah. Yeah, exactly."

Matt slowly nodded and took a drink of his coffee. "Are you feeling okay?"

Jayden clicked the pen one last time as he put it down and refolded his hands. "Of course I am. Why?"

"I thought you were ready to snap that in half. Or stab me with it." He narrowed his eyes. "You're not, right?"

"If there was a time it would've been right at the beginning when you were assigned to me. Would it help if I promised to at least be up front about it just in case the mood strikes?"

"A little."

Jayden stared at him and felt his fingers twitch. The pen was only a few inches away. "Why are we having this conversation again?"

"This." Matt held up the book he'd been carrying and Jayden nearly blanched. "Thought you might like a copy of her book even if you were there for most of it."

The origami bird on the cover peered up at him and he honestly couldn't believe it. "You _bought_ it. You bought it while she was there?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" Matt replied, shrugging. "Kind of a waste of a book signing if you buy the book and don't even get the author to sign it. Here, I think you'll appreciate what she wrote."

_Oh, for Christ's sake._ Jayden reached for the book and handled it as if it was about to jump up and attack him. His caution regarding it only increased as he slowly lifted the cover and flipped to the title page. "To my biggest fan...love, Madison." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jesus. I can't believe you did that."

"Did what? Had her sign it? Or suggest that she give it to her biggest fan?" Matt took another drink of his coffee. "I'm only half to blame for that one, so don't get too pissy about it. Besides, she was a good sport, considering what I could've asked her to put in there-"

" _That's_ as far as you need to go." Jayden sighed as he lowered his hand. "But thanks. Now can we get back to work, or do you have anything else to say?"

"No, not really. At least not on that." The other agent replied, eying Jayden skeptically before shrugging. "But I get it. No more comments on the reporter. Anyway, the boss wants to see us. He's got a new case coming in, and he wants to go over the basic details with us."

"Any idea what it could be?"

"Nope, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was another drug case."

Jayden rolled his eyes and began to close the files sitting around him. "That's always your first guess-"

"-And it's never what it turns out to be." Matt quoted, coating his words in a thick Boston accent. "But I'm not always wrong. Out of the last five cases I've called three of them correctly, so there's at least some luck working in my favor there."

"If you say so." he replied dismissively, resting his chin on his hand.

"Anyway, I'm heading over right now. You're coming, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Just give me a minute."

As soon as Matt was gone he leaned back in his chair and pressed his hands to his eyes.

Of course she wouldn't mention it to him. Then again, did she even know who it was for? He lowered his hands and glanced over at the black letters staring right back at him. It was done in the same elegant print as before, each word printed neatly compared to the annoyed message she'd scrawled down a few days ago. Not one smudge. Not one streak.

He ran his fingers over the words, considering them and their author for a few more minutes, and wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into. Snorting at the thought, he snapped the book shut and got up to follow Matt.

And like before life went on.

* * *

Fin

* * *


End file.
